In 2025, PPF has documented at least 146 confirmed attacks on journalists and media professionals in connection with their work and attempts of censorship to regulate and restrict free expression. Journalists have faced a range of attacks and threats, and the repeat patterns of violence against the media, followed by continued impunity for perpetrators, must come to an end.

PPF documented repeated instances of physical assault and obstruction, particularly during on-ground coverage, where journalists were beaten, manhandled, detained, or forcibly removed from reporting locations, and in some cases had their equipment damaged or confiscated. Notably, during a year of extreme climate events, journalists were also subject to violence while covering the impact of floods in the Punjab province.

Journalists were also subjected to arrests, short-term detentions, and raids on media offices and press club premises, underscoring a pattern in which both individuals and media institutions were targeted. Well-known media professionals were amongst those arrested, including Farhan Mallick, Khalid Jamil, and Sohrab Barkat. Such incidents not only disrupt reporting but also contribute to an environment of fear and insecurity.

At the same time, legal harassment, intimidation, and censorship increasingly shaped the operating environment for journalists. PPF recorded a growing reliance on cybercrime laws, particularly through the emboldened and amended Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, to register cases against journalists, expose them to prolonged investigations, and, in some instances, restrict their movement through measures such as travel restrictions, as was observed in the case of Farhan Mallick.

Meanwhile, 2025, also established that legal challenges for journalists don’t end at the registration of a case. In October, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad took up a case involving allegations of drug possession and terrorism from 2024 against senior journalist Matiullah Jan, for which the verdict was reserved in December. 

Journalists also faced direct threats, online harassment, and intimidation extending to their families, often exacerbated by hostile rhetoric from political leaders and officials.  In November, an AI-generated video targeted and harassed a woman journalist, Benazir Shah, focused on her character assassination.

Regulatory actions, court orders blocking digital platforms, internet and mobile service suspensions, and restrictions on access to reporting locations further constrained both on-ground and digital journalism.

Additionally, financial pressure through the selective allocation and suspension of government advertising remained a tool to target media outlets. Government advertisements were withheld from media organizations, including the Dawn Media Group and the Daily Sahafat newspaper.

It is unacceptable that year after year, journalists continue to face forms of physical violence and are now increasingly also facing the brunt of tightened legislation for digital spaces. Media professionals are now operating within a landscape of layered restrictions — from outright threats and violence to redlines to work within and increasingly active use of legal avenues to silence them as individual journalists, media bodies, and media outlets. 

The much-delayed establishment of the federal Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (CPJMP) in November was a welcome step taken this year in the right direction; however, its creation alone is not sufficient to address the entrenched risks faced by journalists. The Commission must now be made fully functional, with clear rules, adequate resources, and the institutional independence required to operate effectively. The establishment of the Commission is just the first step and must be followed with actions including the prompt registration and investigation of complaints, coordination with law enforcement and judicial authorities, and regular public reporting on progress and outcomes. 

The cases documented in 2025 include: 

Assault and Violence:

• 38 instances of physical assault and manhandling, and 2 journalists injured in an accident while on assignment 
• 5 detentions 
• 2 instances of abduction 
• 4 attacks on property, including raids 

Legal Challenges: 

• 8 arrests 
• 30 instances of case registration, including 22 with sections of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) included 
• 24 documented instances of legal action, including by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA)

Intimidation: 

• 10 instances of threats issued, including online threats/harassment 
• 3 instances of threats of legal action
• 9 instances of harassment and intimidation, including through a journalist’s family or through the rhetoric, remarks, and actions of political leaders or the government 
• 2 instances of placement on the No Fly List

Censorship, Restrictions, and Regulation: 

• 6 instances of mobile or internet service suspensions 
• 1 Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) directive 
• 1 court order to block 27 YouTube channels 
• 1 show with YouTube access blocked in Pakistan
• 1 restriction on reporting from outside Adiala Jail, where the opposition leader is being held 

In addition to this, financial targeting of media outlets has also been observed in 2025. Government ads have been withheld from media outlets, including Daily Sahafat and the Dawn Media Group’s newspaper, television channel, and radio station. 

PPF’s recommendations for 2026: 

• Stakeholders must work towards implementing commitments that Pakistan has made — both domestically and internationally — to protect the right to freedom of expression and to move beyond lip service to actual measures and effective implementation of existing mechanisms that provide recourse in instances of attacks on journalists and can finally help in moving the needle toward reduced impunity for these crimes. It is worth reminding the relevant stakeholders that Pakistan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, under which, in Article 19, the right to freedom of expression is protected.

• At the start of the year, the amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, which further emboldened it, set the tone for action in the digital realm, and since multiple cases against journalists under PECA have been documented. We urge authorities to provide more clarity on the implementation of PECA and on the functioning of cybercrime bodies such as the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The bulldozing of PECA despite opposition should also serve as a reminder to hold consultations, collect feedback, and incorporate it before laws are passed.

• The Federal Media Safety Commission, now established under the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, must be made fully operational. Its rules and functional mechanisms should be established at the earliest to ensure that it actively investigates all incidents of violence against journalists brought before it, monitors legal proceedings, and publishes transparent progress reports to reinforce accountability and prevent impunity.

• In Sindh, the Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners must function effectively. The commission should ensure that incidents of violence at the provincial level are reported, investigated, and addressed promptly, while also publishing periodic reports that inform the public, civil society, and policymakers about cases and trends, strengthening transparency and responsiveness.

• At the provincial level, in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, media safety legislation is absent. With the unique circumstances and nature of threats to journalists in each province, these provincial governments should introduce and pass laws to pave the way for protection for journalists.

• Under both laws, the federal and Sindh governments are falling short of achieving their objectives to address impunity. The federal media safety law states that the government will implement best practices provided for in the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The Sindh law states that the government will develop and implement effective strategies to combat impunity, including coordinating with stakeholders to implement best practices in the UN Plan of Action. The laws are binding, and the governments must fulfill their responsibilities.
• The suspension of advertisements to the media outlets has exposed a strategy of targeting media outlets by restricting their source of financial support. Federal or provincial authorities exercising such measures must ensure that agreed-upon quotas of advertisements to media are provided without discrimination.

• The closure of the Dawn Urdu web desk, layoffs at Nukta Pakistan, and the now normal practice of delayed salaries are reflective of the state of the media in Pakistan at the moment. While external pressures complicate financial circumstances, media organizations should think of the future of the media, keep an eye on international trends, and adapt to develop financially viable and sustainable business models. A model of dependency on government advertisements cannot free itself from the government’s pressures. 

• Codes of conduct must be developed and, where available, enforced by political parties, especially during rallies and protests, with safe zones designated for journalists. As observed in recent years, often the action against journalists comes in the form of remarks by political leadership against individual journalists. Party leaders must recognize the impact of their remarks on the safety of media professionals and ensure that codes of conduct for interaction with the media are implemented at all levels. 

• The threat of AI-generated attacks, particularly against women, is of grave concern and must be advocated against through engagements with big tech and more clarity and accountability on reporting such posts. Unless effective countermeasures are taken, such videos and manipulated footage are likely to become increasingly common in the world of AI, where such edits can be done almost seamlessly. 

• In line with this, special attention should be given to the safety of women journalists, who face disproportionate online abuse, gender-based threats, and character assassination.

• Media organizations must comply with the mandates in the federal and Sindh media safety laws to provide training, protective equipment, and insurance to their journalists. This includes coverage for physical and psychological risks, while ensuring that safety protocols are actively implemented and monitored to protect staff in the field. In an environment of growing threats, including threats in online spheres, media organizations should consider the need to provide such training a necessity. Additionally, media organizations must pay attention and establish active gender harassment committees as required under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act. 

• Attacks on press clubs must be treated as serious violations of press freedom. Federal and provincial authorities must ensure that all incidents involving raids, forced entry, vandalism, or violence at press club premises are promptly registered, independently investigated, and prosecuted.

• Press clubs and journalist unions should play an active role in protecting members by establishing emergency support systems, legal aid mechanisms, and advocacy campaigns. They should coordinate with law enforcement and the media safety commissions to report incidents in real time and provide safety guidance to journalists working in high-risk areas or covering politically sensitive events.

• Civil society must continue to engage with different stakeholders, from journalists to media outlets to press clubs, unions, associations, and duty bearers in the government, law enforcement agencies, and political parties. Civil societies can identify gaps in the safety of journalists and media professionals and tailor programming to address these.

• The unresolved murder of PPF Press Freedom Hero 2023, Arshad Sharif, underscores the urgent need for a credible, transparent, and time-bound conclusion to investigations into the murders of journalists, particularly in high-profile cases with cross-border dimensions. Pakistani authorities must ensure full cooperation with Kenyan counterparts, finalize mutual legal assistance processes, and make public the complete findings of the Special Joint Investigation Team to restore public confidence. The continued absence of arrests or indictments years after a judicial finding that the killing was unlawful reinforces a dangerous message that even the most prominent journalists can be killed without consequence. Resolving the Arshad Sharif case is therefore essential not only for justice for his family, but also for signaling a genuine commitment to ending impunity for crimes against journalists.

• An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad, taking up the 2024 case involving absurd allegations of drug possession and terrorism from 2024 against senior journalist Matiullah Jan, can serve as a litmus test for the legal consequences that journalists are facing in Pakistan and must be closely observed.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) expressed concern over the further blocking of government advertisements to the Dawn Media Group. The withholding of advertisements is an alarming tool the government has decided to use to strangle the media group financially. At a time of prevailing economic challenges to the media, such a tactic is a dangerous targeted tool to cut off the media outlet economically. 

In March of this year, it was reported that the federal, Punjab, and Sindh governments’ had decided to stop providing advertisements to Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English newspaper.

On December 12, the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) strongly condemned the block on ads to Dawn TV and Dawn Radio, following the block on ads to newspapers of the Dawn Media Group. CPNE stated that imposing a ban on government advertising on Dawn was tantamount to weakening it economically.

In their joint statement, CPNE President and General Secretary said Dawn Media Group has been providing impartial information since the inception of Pakistan. Initially, its newspaper advertisements were banned and now Dawn Media Group’s electronic platforms have also been deprived of government advertisements. They demanded that the government immediately lift the block on ads to Dawn.

In a statement, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) said that for the past 13 months the Dawn newspaper had seen the curtailment of ads and now the television channel and radio station was also being denied government advertising. According to APNS, this was to “force the media group to change its editorial policy,” and as government ads are paid through the public exchequer, they shouldn’t be used as a “tool to strangle the dissenting voices.” APNS expressed solidarity with the Dawn Media Group and urged the governments (federal and provincial) to “review their unconstitutional decision” and restore ads.

The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) urged the government to withdraw the ad ban “in the interest of free and responsible journalism.”

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also condemned the ban on government advertisements to the Dawn Media Group, terming it an “attack on press freedom” and “an attempt to control media and stifle free expression.” In a joint statement issued on December 14, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said the decision was aimed at financially crippling a respected media outlet and forcing it to change its editorial policy, which they described as unacceptable. Emphasizing Dawn’s legacy, the PFUJ noted that the newspaper was founded by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and is respected globally for its unbiased reporting, and urged the government to immediately withdraw the ban in the interest of “free and responsible journalism.”

On November 25, the Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (CPJMP) held its inaugural meeting in Islamabad under the chairpersonship of Kamaluddin Tipu, formally beginning its mandated work to address complaints and strengthen protections for media workers across Pakistan.

The commission approved a formal mechanism for handling complaints from journalists and media professionals. A committee has been established to draft the commission’s rules and regulations. Additional committees were also constituted to develop training plans, welfare and insurance frameworks, and activity plans.

During the meeting, members were introduced, representing government institutions, media stakeholders, and civil society. Participants reviewed key provisions of the PJMP Act 2021, proposed amendments, a draft budget, and the operational plan for making the commission fully functional.

The commission decided to introduce digitalization measures, including the launch of a dedicated web portal to streamline processes and offer training opportunities. It also agreed to organize workshops and seminars for capacity-building of journalists and media workers.

Recommendations were shared on strengthening coordination with provincial bodies, improving rapid response mechanisms, and ensuring regular engagement with journalist unions and media houses.

The chairperson emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the commission as outlined in the PJMP Act 2021 and noted the need for timely implementation of decisions. The commission reiterated its aim to ensure independence in matters related to journalists’ safety, welfare, and professional environment.

The meeting was attended by the Principal Information Officer, the Director General of the Human Rights Commission, and representatives of journalist organizations, including Nawaz Raza, Khalil Ahmed, Tahir Hassan, Naveed Akbar, Hassan Abbas, Tamsela Qureshi, and Nadia Saboohi.

The newly empowered Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has scheduled a hearing for December 3 to consider a request for an independent investigation into the 2022 killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

Sharif was shot in the head in October 2022 when Kenyan police opened fire on his vehicle. He had left Pakistan in August 2022 after multiple sedition cases were registered against him in various cities.

According to the FCC cause list issued on November 28, notices have been sent to the attorney general, the inspector general of Islamabad Police, the foreign secretary and other respondents for the upcoming hearing. The matter will be taken up by a two-member bench comprising Justices Aamir Farooq and Rozi Khan Barrech, who will review the request for an “independent and transparent investigation” into the killing.

The case was initially taken up suo motu by a six-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan. After the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the establishment of the FCC, jurisdiction over constitutional and suo motu matters was transferred to the new court, shifting the case from the Supreme Court to the FCC.

In August last year, then–chief justice Qazi Faez Isa stated that the case had not been fixed before a five-judge larger bench because it did not involve constitutional interpretation. In July 2024, the Supreme Court referred the matter to the three-judge committee formed under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, to re-fix the case before a five-judge bench, a development superseded by the FCC’s assumption of jurisdiction.

PPF urges the newly established Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals to immediately take notice of this incident and initiate a thorough review. PPF also calls on Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar to follow through on his commitment to take action against those responsible. Additionally, PPF stresses the need for social media platforms to enforce stronger policies on synthetic media and prevent their misuse for targeted harassment.

The incident came to light on November 16, when Shah stated on X that an account followed by Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar had “made an AI video of me.” The video, posted by the account PakVocals, falsely claimed to be a “leaked video” of her “dancing in a club in London.” Reasserting her resolve in the face of harassment, she wrote, “But as we’ve said before, we’ll say it again: #AttacksWontSilenceUS.”

Responding publicly, Minister Tarar described the act as “totally unacceptable and highly condemnable” and added, “Nobody has the right to make fake videos and then disseminate them or try to harass any journalist by defaming them. I follow more than 1900 accounts. I do not condone the behaviour of this account and also assure you that action will be taken.”

Shah later said she appreciated the minister’s response but clarified that she would not pursue a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) or through the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). She stated, “Doing so would lend legitimacy to a law and an institution that have been used to harass journalists, silence private citizens, and suppress dissent,” adding that if the government is serious about ensuring journalists’ safety, “they should scrap Peca and the NCCIA and begin a genuine consultation process to draft legislation that truly addresses journalists’ concerns.”

PPF reiterates that attacks on journalists—whether physical, digital, or AI-driven—are attacks on press freedom, and ensuring the safety and independence of media workers is essential for a democratic and informed society.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) welcomes the establishment of the much-delayed Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (CPJMP). PPF expresses hope that this long-awaited step will finally begin to address the safety threats faced by journalists and media professionals across Pakistan.

On June 18, the federal cabinet approved the appointment of Kamal Uddin Tipu as the Chairperson of the Commission. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House.

The Commission has been set up under Section 12 of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021. The Act was passed by the National Assembly on November 8, 2021, and by the Senate shortly after, and signed into law by the President on December 2, 2021.

However, the Commission mandated under the Act was not formed for more than three years.

Its establishment, following the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s notification, marks an overdue but important fulfilment of the law’s promise. PPF hopes that this long delay will now be followed by swift, decisive implementation.

According to PPF’s Impunity Day Report 2025, at least 137 attacks on journalists were documented between January and October 2025. These included 35 physical assaults, 5 detentions, 2 abductions, and 4 attacks on media property. Journalists also continued to face legal pressures, with 8 arrests, 30 cases registered—including 22 under PECA—and 23 actions from investigative and cybercrime agencies. The report further noted 19 incidents of intimidation and harassment. Between 2020 and 2025, six journalists were killed because of their work, while motives in several other killings remain inconclusive.

The 12-member independent commission comprising ex officio officials and representatives from journalist unions across the federal capital, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. Members of the Commission include:

• Nayyer Ali, Secretary, National Press Club
• Ghulam Nabi Yousafzai, Secretary, Press Association of the Supreme Court
• Naveed Akbar Chaudhary, Parliamentary Reporters Association of Pakistan
• Afzal Butt, President, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) – Barna Group
• Hassan Abbas, PFUJ (Barna–Rana Azeem Group)
• Nawaz Raza, PFUJ Dastoor Group
• Tahir Hassan Khan, Karachi Union of Journalists
• Tamsela Chishti, Punjab Union of Journalists
• Nadia Saboohi, Khyber Union of Journalists
• Khalil Ahmed, Balochistan Union of Journalists
• Ex officio members includes the Principal Information Officer/ Executive Director General from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Director General HR (Ex-Officio) from the Ministry of Human Rights.

On November 16, Shah wrote on X that an account followed by Tarar had “made an AI video of me.” The video was shared by an account called PakVocals, with a description falsely claiming it was a “leaked video” of Shah “dancing in a club in London.” She added, “But as we’ve said before, we’ll say it again: #AttacksWontSilenceUS.”

Responding to her post, Tarar said, “Totally unacceptable and highly condemnable. Notice taken, please.” He added, “Nobody has the right to make fake videos and then disseminate them or try to harass any journalist by defaming them. I follow more than 1900 accounts. I do not condone the behaviour of this account and also assure you that action will be taken.”

Shah later said she appreciated the minister’s response, stating, “I appreciate the information minister taking this matter seriously.” However, she said she did not wish to pursue a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act through the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, explaining, “Doing so would lend legitimacy to a law and an institution that have been used to harass journalists, silence private citizens, and suppress dissent.” She added that if the government was serious about ensuring safety, “they should scrap Peca and the NCCIA and begin a genuine consultation process to draft legislation that truly addresses journalists’ concerns.”

Journalist Meher Bokhari, referring to the video and a separate incident involving another journalist, said, “This is not who we were meant to become,” and called for respect toward journalists. She noted that targeted individuals “have dedicated their lives to informing the public despite constant pressure” and stressed the importance of maintaining values and respect.

The slain journalists include a Reuters contractor cameraman Hussam al-Masri, a freelance photojournalist with Associated Press and Independent Arabia, Mariam Abu Dagga, Al Jazeera camera operator Mohammed Salama, freelance video journalist Moaz Abu Taha and freelance journalist Ahmed Abu Aziz. 

The latest killings are the latest in the continued violence against journalists in Gaza since October 2023. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 197 journalists and media workers have been killed during the war, of whom 189 were Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza. This is an entirely unacceptable and alarmingly high figure.

PPF wholly endorses and reiterates Reporters Without Borders (RSF) call for an emergency United Nations Security Council Meeting. 

On August 21, the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) urged Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza.  

“Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively. We oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts,” read the statement, adding: “We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests, and detentions.”

So far, 30 MFC member states have signed on. 

Earlier in August, press freedom organizations called for an end to the forced starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza by Israel. 

“Journalists in Gaza are being starved to death. Not metaphorically. Not slowly. But deliberately, and in real time, while the world watches.

“One in three people in Gaza now goes days without food. Among the starving are journalists, the last independent voices still reporting from inside Gaza. These are the individuals whose courage keeps the world informed of the sheer humanitarian impact of Israel’s war on Gaza. Now, they are being forced to die from hunger.

“This is not incidental. This is a tactic. The suffering of journalists is not an accident; Israel is employing deliberate tactics to silence the truth by starving them,” read the joint letter.

PPF stresses that violence, arbitrary detention, and the misuse of criminal laws against journalists are unacceptable in a democracy. Such actions not only endanger the safety of media workers but also erode press freedom by creating a climate of fear that discourages investigative reporting on matters of public interest, including the exposure of corruption in public institutions. PPF calls on authorities to ensure accountability for those responsible, drop all unfounded charges against the journalists, and guarantee that the press can operate without interference or reprisal.

On July 26, investigative reporter for Samaa News and President of the Electronic Media Association, Syed Zulfiqar Haider, accompanied by cameraperson Muhammad Asif, visited the District Health Officer’s office in Gujrat to seek an official response to a report on an alleged illegal kidney transplant network and alleged irregularities in the department’s anti-quackery campaign. According to Haider, instead of receiving answers, they were confronted by the Chief Executive Officer of Health Gujrat, Dr. Atta Al-Munaim, and other officials. A group of 30 to 35 individuals entered the office, physically assaulted the journalists, damaged their camera, microphone, and mobile phone, and locked them in a room.

Speaking to PPF, Haider shared that he used a second phone hidden on his person to alert colleagues at the Gujrat Press Club. Within minutes, senior journalists Abdul Sattar Mirza, the club’s president and Bureau Chief for Express News, Syed Naveed Shah, Bureau Chief for Dunya News and a former club president, and Rana Shehzad, reporter for 24 News, rushed to the scene to secure Haider’s release. According to Minute Mirror, by the time they arrived, tensions were high, with other journalists gathering in protest outside the health office and police being called in to mediate. Officers eventually freed the detained journalists.

Despite their intervention being solely to assist a colleague under attack, within 24 hours, four journalists — Haider, Mirza, Shah, and Shehzad — were booked under an FIR registered at Police Station A Division, Gujrat, on charges of obstructing public servants, criminal intimidation, and unlawful assembly.

The targeting of Haider continued the next day when a second FIR was registered at Kunjah Police Station on July 27 against him. The complainant, District Inspector Arif Hussain from the DHO office, accused Haider of issuing threats during a raid on an illegal clinic in Banian village. Haider told PPF the cases were politically motivated and intended to punish him for prior reporting on criminal medical networks and alleged corruption in the health department.

Haider submitted a written complaint to the police, calling for action against the officials involved in the assault and for the removal of the three senior journalists’ names from FIR 368/25. Investigation Officer Aftab Chohan, Sub-Inspector at A Division Police Station, confirmed to PPF on August 6 that Mirza, Shah, and Shehzad had been removed from the case at the request of Dr. Atta Al-Munaim, who acknowledged their lack of involvement. Chohan added that the investigation remains pending because Haider has not yet recorded his statement, and that the challan will be submitted to the court once he does so.

Samaa TV’s OSR Head Nabeel Ahmed confirmed that the network stands firmly behind Haider, pledging full legal and journalistic support and vowing to continue pursuing justice through all available forums.

The Gujrat Press Club issued a strong condemnation, stating that the journalists had visited the DHO office solely to verify allegations of extortion linked to the sealing and de-sealing of clinics and had instead been subjected to violence and official abuse. The club warned against attempts to sow division between the press and the local administration and reaffirmed that journalists have historically supported anti-quackery efforts in the public interest.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is concerned over the registration of a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against Lahore Rang reporter Muhammad Aslam in Vehari in the Punjab province. 

On July 29, a criminal complaint (First Information Report) was registered at Daniwal Police Station on the complaint of Municipal Officer Majeed Pathan. The FIR accused Aslam of uploading a video on social media alleging that the Municipal Committee Vehari was using substandard materials in a World Bank–funded road construction project under the Punjab Cities Program. The complaint claimed the video was intended to “blackmail and damage the administration’s reputation” and asserted that Aslam “lacked the technical expertise” to make such claims. The case was lodged under Sections 20, 24, and 27 of PECA.

Speaking to PPF on August 1, Aslam said the FIR was filed in retaliation for his investigative report alleging corruption in the Punjab Cities Program, announced by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, which he shared on his Facebook account. He claimed that contractor Nasir Majeed misappropriated funds and used substandard materials — including inferior crash material, oil in place of pure bitumen, and a water-based primer coat instead of kerosene oil — defects that he warned would cause the road to deteriorate within a few years. Aslam said he verified his sources before publishing and sent material samples for testing.

The Additional District and Sessions Judge of Multan, Mumtaz Ahmed, granted Aslam pre-arrest bail and ordered that he not be taken into custody until the August 20 hearing, further directing him to cooperate with the investigation.

Journalist bodies and press freedom advocates have condemned the case. In separate conversations with PPF, Vehari Press Club General Secretary Mian Imran Hafeez called the FIR “an attack on press freedom” and warned of protests if the case was not withdrawn. Vehari Union of Journalists President Muhammad Irfan Chaudhry termed it “a blatant misuse of PECA to silence a journalist” and urged an independent investigation.

The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) expressed alarm over an Islamabad court’s order to block 27 YouTube channels, which are operated by journalists, commentators, and political voices on allegations of spreading “provocative and derogatory contents against state institutions and officials of state of Pakistan”. PPF urged the court to reconsider such a mass blanket ban.  We urge the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and relevant authorities to respect due process and constitutional guarantees when handling digital content.

PPF notes with alarm that the process of blocking these channels was initiated without giving the affected individuals the right to respond, raising concerns about transparency, due process, and the chilling effect on freedom of expression online.

PPF reiterates that while the state may have need to address disinformation, any such action must be transparent, proportional, and respectful of fundamental rights. The unilateral silencing of critical voices through opaque legal processes threatens the democratic values of accountability and freedom of expression.

An order from the Court of the Judicial Magistrate NCCIA Islamabad in response to an enquiry dated June 2, 2025, listed the names of 27 YouTube channels. These included channels operated by prominent journalists such as Matiullah Jan, Asad Ali Toor, and Ahmad Noorani; political commentators like Imran Riaz Khan, Siddique Jan, and Sabir Shakir; the official channel of the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and its founder, Imran Khan; as well as several others.

The written order stated that the content on these channels constitutes offences punishable under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act and other penal laws of Pakistan. It directed the Head or Officer In-Charge of the Security Department / Custodian of Records at Google LLC to block and remove the specified YouTube channels.

According to Dawn, an NCCIA sub-inspector had informed the judicial magistrate in Islamabad that under PECA, they were conducting an enquiry into “YouTube channels who are involved in disseminating and propagating fake and misleading information against the state Institutions which is likely to cause fear, panic, disorder or unrest in the general public or society along with defamatory and fake remarks/information, which violates the privacy and harms the dignity of the officials of state institutions.”

He said that they were found sharing “highly intimidating, provocative and derogatory contents against state institutions and officials of state of Pakistan,” a “source of publicly disseminating/propagating false, misleading and fake information against the state institutions/officials.” He said the suspects had “attempted to provoke the general public and armed forces personnel by trying to create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the state,” Dawn reported.

YouTube has begun notifying affected channel owners. A notice sent to journalist Asad Toor stated:

“We have received a legal removal request citing the court order dated 24 June 2025 in Enquiry No. 717/2025, seeking blocking of your channel [… ] A copy of the court order is attached for your reference. You may choose to act on the said content in terms of the aforesaid court order. If you fail to do so, as per our local law obligations, we may comply with the request without further notice to you.”

The Press Association of the Supreme Court of Pakistan strongly condemned the move, describing it as a violation of constitutional rights. The Association stated that journalists were denied a fair hearing and described the order as a form of “economic strangulation.” The statement called on the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said they were greatly concerned by the court directive, which they said came following a complaint by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).“The wholesale blocking of entire channels—rather than addressing specific instances of unlawful or hateful speech in accordance with due process—conflates dissent with criminal activity,” HRCP said.

The FIA issued a statement that news reports that the judicial magistrate’s order to the FIA to close the YouTube channels was “completely baseless and inaccurate,” adding that the NCCIA was now fully operational and the court order was issued on NCCIA’s request.

Currently, most of the YouTube channels remain accessible in Pakistan.

According to the official statement, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has now been formally established and is fully operational. All cybercrime-related investigations and legal proceedings fall exclusively under its jurisdiction.

“The news circulating in the media, claiming that a judicial magistrate has ordered the FIA to shut down 27 Pakistani YouTube channels, is completely baseless and inaccurate,” the FIA spokesperson stated.

The agency emphasized that the court orders were issued on the request of the NCCIA, and the FIA was not mentioned in the judicial directives.

“It is essential to understand that FIA and NCCIA are two separate and independent institutions. Cybercrime investigations and related legal matters are no longer under the mandate of the FIA,” the spokesperson added.

The FIA urged the public and media personnel to avoid spreading unverified information and to confirm details with the relevant authorities before publishing or broadcasting any reports.

“A disproportionate and excessive media spotlight and the manner it is presented is likely to create perceptions of guilt and influence the public as well as those who are associated with the criminal proceedings,” observed Justice Athar Minallah in a detailed 25-page judgement.

The remarks came during the hearing of an appeal filed by Shahid Ali, who had been convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of seven-year-old Wasim Akram in Karachi. The Sindh High Court had upheld the conviction on March 15, 2021. However, the Supreme Court acquitted the accused, granting the benefit of doubt and ordered that he be released forthwith.

The judgement noted that the accused had been interviewed by a journalist while in police custody during his physical remand. The interview was later aired on March 27, 2014, in the programme Jurm Bolta Hai on a private television channel.

Calling the case “a classic example”, the court pointed out that the accused was under a court-ordered remand solely for investigation and was presumed innocent. Despite this, the police granted access to a journalist, and the interview was disseminated to the public. The court expressed concern for the victim’s family, stating that they may also have been adversely affected by this act.

The Supreme Court warned against the common practice of televising confessions or parading suspects before cameras, observing that such practices gravely violate the rights of the accused and undermine the fairness of criminal trials.

The court ruled that confessions recorded in custody and aired by the media are legally inadmissible. “A confession made by such an accused while in custody of a police officer cannot be proved against him/her unless made in the immediate presence of a Magistrate,” it stated.

“It is not uncommon for a reporter to be given access to interview and record a statement of the accused and then disseminate it for information of the public,” the judgement added. “The news regarding a crime is always of interest to the people, particularly when the case is of high profile or the nature of the crime is of interest to the general public. An unusual interest of the public could lead to a media trial and the consequences could be irretrievable, not only for the accused but the victims as well.”

It cautioned that such media trials “could also obstruct justice by enabling wrongful convictions” and potentially allow the “actual perpetrators of the crime” to evade justice.

Justice Minallah noted that the media holds enormous power to shape narratives — whether true or false — and this influence can wreak irreparable harm on the reputation and lives of not only the accused but also their families.

“The media has the unique power to make heroes or villains, intentionally or unintentionally, and such powers are susceptible to be abused in a society where the State suppresses freedom of expression and manipulates the media,” the judgement said.

The court underscored that “a greater responsibility rests with the media to strictly observe high standards of ethical codes in order to strike a balance between the rights of parties involved in criminal proceedings and the public interest i.e. what information should be disseminated to the general public.”

Justice Minallah acknowledged that judicial officers are not immune to such influence, remarking: “The judicial officers are also humans and in this age of information and technology it would not be wrong to assume that they may also be susceptible to be influenced by the media coverage. This is a universal phenomenon.”

The Supreme Court directed that copies of the judgement be sent to the interior and information secretaries, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and chief secretaries of the provinces. It instructed them to take immediate steps to protect the rights of individuals involved in criminal proceedings and to ensure the integrity and fairness of investigations and trials.

The court also called upon media regulators to develop standard operating procedures in consultation with stakeholders to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards in the coverage of criminal matters.

Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas presided over the proceedings and also sought assistance in reviewing both past and current legal mechanisms aimed at addressing fake and defamatory news content.

The petitions were filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), noted anchorpersons and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association. The petitioners have argued that the recent amendments to PECA pose a serious threat to freedom of the press and expression.

During the hearing, the counsels representing the petitioners — Riasat Ali Azad, Imran Shafiq, Dr Yasir Aman Khan, among others — appeared before the bench. The federal government was represented by Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez and other legal officers.

It was informed in court that written responses from all concerned parties had been submitted. A government representative noted that provincial governments had also been included in the case. Responding to this, Advocate Imran Shafiq confirmed that an earlier objection from the Registrar’s Office regarding the inclusion of provinces had already been addressed.

Justice Minhas instructed the petitioners’ lawyers to begin their arguments. Dr. Yasir Aman Khan, appearing on behalf of PFUJ, opened the arguments by presenting a historical overview of the PECA legislation. He informed the court that the original PECA law was enacted in 2016, and the 2025 amendments had brought significant changes, such as the creation of a Social Media Complaints Council and the removal or modification of several existing provisions.

Justice Minhas observed that the petitioners should clearly outline what the previous code entailed and how the new amendments differ in order to assist the court in assessing the impact. Dr. Khan also referred to several judicial rulings to support his case.

The hearing forms part of the IHC’s ongoing examination of the PECA Amendment Act 2025, which was passed by the National Assembly earlier this year and has since raised concerns over digital rights, press freedom, and state oversight of online spaces.

The suspension, implemented to ensure public safety during mourning processions and religious gatherings, was in effect throughout the day.

Security forces remained on high alert across the country, with additional deployments in sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents. Processions were monitored closely and concluded peacefully.

پاکستان پریس فاؤنڈیشن میڈیا سیفٹی رپورٹنگ فیلوشپ کے لیے درخواستیں طلب کر رہی ہے۔

درخواستیں جمع کرانے کی آخری تاریخ 1 جون2025 ہے۔

پاکستان پریس فاؤنڈیشن میڈیا سیفٹی رپورٹنگ فیلوشپ کے لیے درخواستیں طلب کی جارہی ہیں، جو ایک ایسا پروگرام ہے جس کا مقصد صحافیوں کی تحقیقاتی رپورٹنگ کی صلاحیت اور مضبوطی کو بڑھانا ہے تاکہ وہ پاکستان میں صحافیوں کی حفاظت کے مسائل پر مؤثر رپورٹنگ کر سکیں۔

اس فیلوشپ کا مقصد تحقیقاتی صحافت کو فروغ دینا، میڈیا سیفٹی پر عوامی شعور میں اضافے میں کردار ادا کرنا، اور ایسے پالیسی و وکالتی اقدامات کی حمایت کرنا ہے جو صحافیوں کے تحفظ کو بہتر بنائیں۔ فیلوشپ حاصل کرنے والے صحافیوں کو تربیت اور رہنمائی فراہم کی جائے گی تاکہ وہ میڈیا سیفٹی، آزادی اظہار پر خطرات، اور صحافیوں کے خلاف جرائم میں عدم سزا جیسے موضوعات پر تفصیلی رپورٹس تیار کر سکیں۔

:فیلوشپ میں شامل ہے

۔ فیلوشپ حاصل کرنے والے صحافیوں کو مواد کی تیاری میں معاونت کے لیے 60,000 روپے تک اعزازیہ دیا جائے گا۔

۔ دو استعدادکار بڑھانے والی ورکشاپس میں شرکت کا موقع دیا جائے گا، جن کا مقصد تحقیقاتی صحافت کی مہارتوں کو نکھارنا اور میڈیا سیفٹی کے مسائل کی گہری سمجھ فراہم کرنا ہے۔

۔ تجربہ کار صحافیوں اور موضوعاتی ماہرین کے ساتھ ذاتی نوعیت کے آن لائن رہنمائی سیشنز میں شرکت، جہاں ہر اسٹوری کے لیے ادارتی رہنمائی فراہم کی جائے گی۔

۔ عملی معاونت فراہم کی جائے گی تاکہ منتخب فیلو چھ (6) تحقیقاتی رپورٹس بہتر تیار اور شائع کر سکیں — ہر رپورٹ میڈیا سیفٹی اور آزادی اظہار کے کسی نہ کسی اہم پہلو پر مرکوز ہو گی۔

ترجیح اُن درخواست دہندگان کو دی جائے گی جو اُن مخصوص کیسز کی تحقیق کے لیے پرعزم ہوں جن میں صحافیوں کو قتل یا زخمی کیا گیا اور مجرموں کو سزا نہیں ملی۔

:اہلیت کے معیار

صحافت میں تین سے پانچ سال کا تجربہ
خواتین صحافی، پسماندہ طبقات سے تعلق رکھنے والے افراد، اور کم سہولیات والے علاقوں — بشمول بلوچستان، نئے ضم شدہ قبائلی اضلاع، گلگت بلتستان، اور آزاد جموں و کشمیر — سے تعلق رکھنے والے صحافیوں کو درخواست دینے کی بھرپور حوصلہ افزائی کی جاتی ہے۔
ویڈیو پروڈکشن اور ملٹی میڈیا اسٹوری ٹیلنگ کا تجربہ رکھنے والے صحافی بھی درخواست دے سکتے ہیں۔

درخواست گزار کو درج ذیل دستاویزات جمع کرانا ہوں گی:

فیلوشپ درخواست فارم
پریس کارڈ یا ادارے کا ملازمت نامہ
ریزیومے / سی وی
گزشتہ بارہ مہینوں میں شائع یا نشر ہونے والی کم از کم تین رپورٹس کے لنکس یا کاپیاں

درخواستیں درج ذیل ای میل ایڈریس پر بھیجی جائیں:
ppfsafetyfellowships@pakistanpressfoundation.org

درخواستیں جمع کرانے کی آخری تاریخ: 1 جون، 2025
مقررہ تاریخ کے بعد موصول ہونے والی درخواستوں کو قابلِ غور نہیں سمجھا جائے گا۔

(درخواست فارم (انگریزی
درخواست فارم (اردو)

گوگل فارم (انگریزی)

گوکل فارم (اردو)

درخواستیں طلب کی جا رہی ہیں: بلوچستان کے صحافیوں کے لیے ہمہ گیر تحفظ اور معلومات تک رسائی کے استعمال پر تربیت
درخواست جمع کرانے کی آخری تاریخ: 27 مئی 2025

پاکستان پریس فاؤنڈیشن بلوچستان سے تعلق رکھنے والے صحافیوں اور میڈیا سے وابستہ پیشہ ور افراد، بشمول فری لانس صحافیوں، سے درخواستیں طلب کر رہی ہے۔ یہ تین روزہ استعداد کار میں اضافے کی تربیت صحافیوں کی ذاتی حفاظت اور پیشہ ورانہ صلاحیتوں کو بہتر بنانے پر مرکوز ہے۔ یہ جامع تربیت صحافیوں کو اُن کے کام کے پیچیدہ ماحول میں درپیش چیلنجز سے مؤثر انداز میں نمٹنے کے لیے تیار کرے گی، جس میں ہمہ گیر تحفظ کے اصولوں اور معلومات تک رسائی کے حق کے استعمال پر خصوصی توجہ دی جائے گی تاکہ صحافت کو مزید مؤثر اور ذمہ دار بنایا جا سکے۔

تربیت کا محور ہمہ گیر تحفظ اور معلومات تک رسائی کے قوانین پر ہو گا، تاکہ صحافی محفوظ اور مؤثر انداز میں اپنے فرائض انجام دینے کے قابل ہو سکیں۔ شرکاء کو ایسی عملی مہارتیں سیکھنے کا موقع ملے گا جو اُن کی جسمانی، ڈیجیٹل، اور نفسیاتی فلاح و بہبود کو بہتر بنائیں گی، جن میں خطرے کا تجزیہ، سائبر سیکیورٹی، اور ذہنی صحت سے متعلق معاونت شامل ہیں۔ اس کے ساتھ ساتھ، تربیت میں پاکستان میں معلومات تک رسائی کے قانونی ڈھانچے کی سمجھ بھی فراہم کی جائے گی، تاکہ صحافی عوامی معلومات کے قوانین کو استعمال کرتے ہوئے تحقیقاتی صحافت کو فروغ دے سکیں، احتساب کو یقینی بنا سکیں، اور میڈیا پر حملوں کے خلاف عدم سزا کے کلچر کا مؤثر طور پر مقابلہ کر سکیں۔

:کون درخواست دے سکتا ہے

بلوچستان میں مقیم صحافی اور میڈیا سے وابستہ پیشہ ور افراد، بشمول فری لانس صحافی اور پرنٹ، الیکٹرانک یا ڈیجیٹل پلیٹ فارمز کے معاونین، جو معلومات تک رسائی کے قوانین کے مؤثر استعمال کے ذریعے اپنی ذاتی حفاظت اور تحقیقاتی صلاحیت کو بہتر بنانا چاہتے ہیں۔

:تفصیلات
دورانیہ: تین دن
تاریخ: جون 2025 (حتمی تاریخوں سے منتخب شرکاء کو آگاہ کیا جائے گا)
مقام: کراچی، سندھ (مقام کی تفصیلات منتخب امیدواروں کو فراہم کی جائیں گی)

درخواست جمع کرانے کی آخری تاریخ: مئی 27، 2025

:درخواست دینے کا طریقہ
درج ذیل لنک پر موجود درخواست فارم کو مکمل کریں:

https://forms.gle/UvEHEqGEVz2VNWtv5 : درخواست فارم

صرف شارٹ لسٹ کیے گئے امیدواروں سے رابطہ کیا جائے گا۔ برائے مہربانی تمام ضروری معلومات فراہم کرنا یقینی بنائیں۔

ہم آپ کی درخواستوں کے منتظر ہیں اور سیکھنے، اشتراک اور بااختیار بنانے کے تین بامقصد دنوں کی توقع رکھتے ہیں!

Read details in English here.

Intimidation on All Fronts: Press Freedom and Media Safety in Pakistan

World Press Freedom Day 2025

Executive Summary

In 2025, journalists and media professionals in Pakistan find themselves amid an ever-tightening landscape for free expression. Legal challenges through restrictive legislation and cases, overactive regulatory authorities, continued violence against journalists with impunity, and threats to media professionals — the media is working in an environment of intimidation from all fronts.

This year began with the passage of the much-opposed Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment Act 2025 in January which heightened concerns about the legal consequences journalists may face for their reporting, particularly online. Since then, criminal complaints have been registered against media professionals under sections of the amended cybercrime law including Section 26-A which pertains to fake or false information and carries punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, fines up to Rs2million, or both.

In a media environment where broadcast media have been significantly silenced over the years through restrictive regulation and violence against media professionals, the further tightening of screws around expression online spells concern for journalists’ ability to report freely without consequences both online and offline. In what has become the norm, the lack of accountability and the role of state bodies — in 2024-25, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in particular — has set a dangerous pattern of action against media professionals.

At the same time, forms of physical violence, including assault and manhandling as well as arrests, detentions, and the issuance of threats to journalists, continued to undermine the safety of media professionals and served as tools to intimidate the media alongside other punitive measures, including the suspension of advertising to media outlets. 

In 2025, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has so far (January – April) documented at least 34 cases including seven instances of case registration, one defamation notice, three instances of call-up notices by the FIA, two arrests, four detentions, two abductions, at least six instances of assault and two of manhandling, two attacks on property including a raid, three instances of threats including a threat of legal action and threats to family, and two of online harassment. 

The arrests of two journalists —Raftar CEO Farhan Mallick and Islamabad-based journalist Waheed Murad — in March, exemplified the heavy-handed approach of the FIA. In the case of Mallick, the FIA visited the Raftar office without notice, and following his appearance at an FIA office in response to a verbal summon,  he was arrested.  

Just days after Mallick’s arrest, Islamabad-based journalist, associated with Urdu News, Waheed Murad, was picked up from his home and had a criminal complaint registered against him by the FIA. 

In addition to these, punitive measures including restrictions on advertising to certain media outlets have also been documented. The suspension of advertisements to Dawn, the leading English newspaper, who issued a public response defending its editorial policy, and the Ministry of Information’s stoppage of advertisements to Daily Sahafat, highlight the underhanded methods used to financially cripple media outlets. 

The precedent for the alarming patterns observed this year appeared to have been set in 2024, an election year that was a mix of political protests, internet shutdowns, and policies and legislation (proposed and passed) that would increase the policing of free expression, particularly online. 

Between January and December 2024, PPF documented at least 168 confirmed attacks on journalists and media professionals in connection to the work and attempts of censorship to regulate and restrict free expression either through punitive measures or regulation including two murders, 76 instances of assault, four instances of abduction, 12 attacks on property, five arrests, 12 detentions, 15 instances of case registration, eight documented instances of FIA action and two of other legal action,  two instances of placement on the Exit Control List, 15 instances of online harassment, five threats, 31 instances of censorship including:  19 instances of Internet, mobile connectivity and social media platform disruptions including the ban on X, four restrictive directives by PEMRA, and eight other directives, orders or actions tantamount to censorship; and remarks by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkwa province targeting journalists.

In 2024, the sheer frequency of internet, mobile connectivity, and social media platform disruptions are of grave concern. At a time when the significance of digital spaces is growing, such measures cut off citizens’ right to access information. As we continue with this year, the alarming patterns of censorship appear to once again be impacting journalists and media outlets in Pakistan. Following the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, the Indian goverment has blocked access to 16 Pakistani YouTube channels on the recommendations of its Ministry of Home Affairs.

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, PPF draws attention to the alarming patterns of intimidation being documented through legislation, legal cases, violence, and threats. 

• PPF urges the state to view the media as an essential stakeholder while developing policies and laws that impact their work, so that dangerous legislation, such as PECA, the impact of which is unfolding, is not brought to fruition. Considering the impact on the media should not be an afterthought. Despite loud and clear calls of concern, the government has decided to ignore the opposition to the amendments to PECA. Such patterns raise questions about the government’s intentions. 
• PPF reiterates the urgent need to challenge the complete impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of violence against the media through the active implementation of media safety legislation, passed in the country, specifically for the protection of media professionals. It is completely unacceptable that journalists continue to be targeted for their work. Despite the passage of the federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, and the provincial Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Act 2021, journalists continue to face violence with dismal accountability for perpetrators.
• PPF is concerned by the lack of accountability and clarity in actions taken by state bodies such as the FIA, with details often being revealed in the aftermath of an incident. Such actions help maintain an environment of fear and uncertainty amongst the media, even beyond the individual journalists impacted. We urge authorities to ensure that media professionals are not targeted for their work and that due process is followed.

PECA Amended and Emboldened — Cases, arrests and fear

Much of the activity documented in 2024, particularly regarding cases against media professionals and legislation surrounding PECA, carried forward into 2025. 

On January 23, the National Assembly passed the PECA amendment bill, followed by the Senate on January 28. On January 29, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the bill into law.  The passage of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025 without stakeholder consultation, a lack of clarity on the law and the bodies formed under it, as well as vague terminology, raised alarm bells for journalists and media bodies. The lack of consultations and clarity of the amendments ahead of the law’s passage brought up concerns about the intent and possible application of the law.

Among the amendments, under the new version of PECA, Section 26-A introduced a punishment for fake or false information, yet it was unclear, how the intent of an individual sharing fake news would be established. 

The amendment was challenged in the Supreme Court, the Lahore High Court, the Sindh High Court, the Peshawar High Court, and the Islamabad High Court, with it being described as an infringement upon freedom of expression and its vague definitions being open to misuse.  

While PECA has been law since 2016, this amendment has further empowered a clampdown on journalists and media professionals, among other citizens, in their expression online. 

The media fraternity and civil society strongly opposed the law for the lack of stakeholder consultation, its vague phrasing, and its potential impact on journalists. Despite vocal opposition, the law was passed and came into effect, and in the months that have followed, the use of PECA in cases against media professionals has been documented. While the use of PECA in cases that have involved journalists is not a new development following the amendment, the concern of its potential misuse and targeted use has grown with the latest amendment that has further emboldened the law.

A section cited in many of the cases is Section 26-A. The amended law states under Section 26-A, that anyone who intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, which they know or have reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to create a sense of fear, panic, disorder, or unrest in the general public or society, can face imprisonment upto three years, fines up to Rs2million or both.

On March 20, Farhan Mallick, the Chief Executive Officer of the digital media platform Raftar, was arrested in Karachi by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The criminal complaint (First Information Report) against Mallick was registered by the FIA Cyber Crime Reporting Center Karachi under Sections 16, 20, and 26-A of the PECA 2025.

As per the FIR, an inquiry was registered, and a report was received regarding Raftar’s YouTube channel. The FIR alleged that the channel was “involved in running [a] campaign for posting anti-state videos targeting the dignitaries mentioned in violation on YouTube channel.” Mallick was stated as the “handler” of the channel. 

A second FIR, dated March 25, was registered at the FIA Cyber Crime Reporting Center in Karachi on the complaint of an individual named Asad Ali. It stated that some individuals were involved in the theft of confidential financial data of credit cards of foreign nationals through spoofed calls and impersonation. As per the FIR, the alleged individuals disclosed that they were acting on the patronage of Farhan Mallick. On April 7, Mallick was released from Malir Jail after he was granted bail in both cases. 

Just days after Mallick’s arrest, Islamabad-based journalist, associated with Urdu News, Waheed Murad, was picked up from his home and had a criminal complaint registered against him by the FIA under Sections 9, 10, 20, and 26-A of PECA, 2016. The FIR stated that Murad was found sharing “highly intimidating content/post on social media/Facebook and X Corp.” Murad was released after being granted post-arrest bail by an Islamabad district and sessions court.

Meanwhile, Hazara Express News Chief Executive Officer Sher Afzal Gujjar faced threats of legal action under the PECA following his media outlet’s coverage of a press conference on February 24. However, police had shared that no case would be registered.

Investigative journalist Ahmed Noorani was among three individuals against whom the FIA Cyber Crime Wing in Islamabad had registered an FIR for allegedly spreading fake news about the Jaffar Express train attack. The case was registered under Sections 9, 10, and 26-A of PECA 2016.

Another commonly cited section of PECA is Section 20, which pertains to offenses against the dignity of a natural person.

On March 28, Abdul Khaliq Chohan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of a local Urdu Newspaper, Hamara Samaj, was named in an FIR for publishing a story in which he had accused the Khairpur Senior Superintendent of Police of corruption. The case was registered under Section 20 of PECA and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.

On March 15, Zahid Sharif, a Dhoom News reporter and digital journalist from Punjab, was named in two FIRs involving allegations, including defamation, harassment, and rape, after posting interviews with women alleging police misconduct. 

An Overactive FIA 

The PECA amendment confirmed plans for establishing the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and granted its director general the powers of an inspector general of police (IGP). In April 2024, the federal government announced the formation of the NCCIA, set to replace the FIA Cyber Crime Wing. In October, the rules of the  NCCIA were repealed, and the NCCIA was disbanded. Under the PECA amendment, it was back. 

Ahead of the NCCIA’s establishment, the FIA has been seen active in the registration of cases, issuance of notices, and arrests of journalists. 

In the case of Farhan Mallick’s arrest, the day prior, FIA officials had visited the Raftar office “without prior notice,” harassed the team, and “verbally summoned” Mallick to their office for a hearing on March 20 at 1 pm. When Mallick appeared before the FIA, and after being made to wait for hours, he was arrested at 6 pm.

Seperately, in March, Swabi Press Club Vice President Mohammad Ayub Khan, also a reporter for Hum News, received a notice from the FIA Cybercrime Wing in Peshawar regarding an alleged offensive social media post. Also in March, the Islamabad High Court stopped the FIA from legal action against Sohrab Barkat, a social media activist and reporter affiliated with Siyasat.pk.

The tone for FIA’s activity involving media professionals was set in 2024. 

At the end of last year, FIA had reportedly registered cases against 150 individuals, including journalists and vloggers, for “allegedly promoting a false narrative against state institutions, particularly the security agencies, over the November 26 crackdown on PTI supporters in Islamabad.” Meanwhile, at the very start of 2024, the FIA issued notices to several dozen media professionals for allegedly participating in a campaign against the judiciary. In connection with this, journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor was arrested and later released on bail. Notices were also issued to Farhan Mallick, YouTuber Arzoo Kazmi, and Siyasat.pk owner Adeel Habib.

Physical Violence Persists — Assault, Manhandling, Detentions and Abductions

In 2025,  eight instances of attacks on journalists, including assault and manhandling, have been documented so far. 

This has included, in January: on January 6, Mehran TV reporter Naveed Panhwar and Dharti TV reporter Irfan Baloch were assaulted by police while covering a fight at a restaurant in Kotri, on January 6, a mob attack on the team of ARY News show Sar e Aam when they were conducting a sting operation in Karachi’s Lyari area, and on January 13, Bol News cameraman Amjad Shah was assaulted by workers of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) while covering a press conference by Moulana Fazl Ur Rehman in Karachi. On February 23, Shahkar Atmankhel, a freelancer based in Utman Khel tehsil of Bajaur district, was assaulted by supporters of Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ajmal Khan and former Member of National Assembly (MNA) Gul Dad Khan. The incident occurred as Atmankhel attempted to inquire about local development projects. In Faisalabad on March 20, 7 News Bureau Chief Mian Munawar Iqbal was manhandled by four unidentified armed individuals allegedly in retaliation for his investigative reporting, on March 26, Irfan Laghari, a reporter for 92 News, was assaulted in Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by unidentified individuals after posting about alleged corruption involving the sale of the Siraiki Belt development scheme, and on March 30, Ajmair Shinwari, a reporter for Aaj News from Landikotal, was misbehaved with by police constables of Landikotal Police Station as he was conducting coverage of a district administrator’s survey on prices in a market. 

Four detentions of journalists and media professionals have also been documented. On February 1, Daily Sahafat cameraperson Zaheer Abbas and Daily Hakoomat cameraperson Tanveer Sindhu were detained in police custody while covering an exhibition at the Expo Center in Lahore, Punjab. Despite showing their press cards, their mobiles and cameras were seized, and they were detained for hours. On March 5, Rohi TV reporter Mehmood Zaheer and cameraperson Shah Saqlain were detained in Bahawalpur, Punjab. 

In April, journalist Inamullah Mehsud was abducted from Tank in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and released through a settlement mediated by a jirga (a council of local tribal elders). On April 22, Daily Ausaf journalist Arshad Malik went missing. Members of the Multan Union of Journalists (MUJ) and other journalist associations have been staging protests outside the Multan Press Club. Mehr Aziz, the resident editor of Daily Ausaf in Multan, told PPF that Malik had returned home on April 28.

In 2024, the murders of two journalists — Bachal Ghunio and Khalil Jibran — were found to be directly in connection to their work. In an election year, multiple waves of protests, predominantly by the opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI), took place during which journalists became the target of violence both by law enforcement, and political party workers and supporters even when they indicated they were from the media. During protests held by PTI, in late September and early October as well as in November, several journalists and media houses were attacked, assaulted and detained by police and attacked by protestors.

During 2024, PPF documented at least 12 incidents of attacks on property which included at least six were attacks on the property of press clubs. These attacks and interference appear to have impacted press clubs in each province of the country. Certain directives issues to press clubs such as the Quetta Press Club have also restricted their ability to function freely without interference. In April 2025, the Balochistan High Court suspended the directive issued by the deputy commissioner restricting the QPC from allowing any political party or organization to hold a press conference or seminar without prior approval or permission of district administration.

This year has also seen attacks on the property of media houses or press clubs. On March 1, police forcibly entered the QPC premises and detained candidates who had gone inside the press club for a press conference to protest delays in their appointment letters after appearing in recruitment tests for jobs in the Balochistan Education Department. Separately, following the arrest of Raftar CEO Farhan Mallick, the media outlet said that on March 24, FIA officials had raided their office. “Without explanation, they seized Mr.Mallick’s work computer and confiscated every USB drive in the office,” read a post shared on Raftar’s X account.  

In another alarming development impacting media outlets, the federal, Punjab, and Sindh governments stopped providing advertisements to Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English newspaper. In an editorial, Dawn reacted to the suspension of ads, stating: “The current regime’s attempt to punish the paper has taken a different form, but its aim is the same: to apply pressure tactics to gain compliance. This publication always takes into consideration multiple angles when making editorial decisions. Others may not always agree with its stance, but pressure tactics will not force Dawn to abandon principled journalism. Its duty, first and foremost, is to maintain journalistic integrity.” The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has also called on the Ministry of Information to lift the advertisement stoppage on Daily Sahafat.

Threats and Online Harassment

In addition to violence, journalists and media professionals have also been subjected to threats of violence, including harassment in digital spaces. These threats have extended to intimidation of journalists’ family members. In 2024, 15 instances of online harassment and five instances of threats were documented by PPF. In 2025, three instances of threats and two instances of online harassment have been documented.

On March 19, two brothers of investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani went missing. Noorani’s mother, Ameena Bashir, filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking the recovery of her two sons, Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, who were allegedly “forcibly disappeared” from their home in Islamabad. Over a month later, the two were recovered during a police operation in the Kacha Machka area of Rahim Yar Khan district. 

Harassment and targeting of journalists online have also persisted this year. In a statement issued on January 10, the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) condemned the “ongoing relentless harassment and gendered disinformation campaign” against senior female journalist Asma Shirazi. As per the statement, the campaign was being led by “prominent political party supporters, and political commentators, and vloggers.” In February, civil society condemned threats issued to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) co-chair and anchorperson at Aaj TV, Munizae Jahangir. 

Most recently, in April, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Karachi Press Club (KPC) have expressed concern over the online trolling and threats targeting prominent broadcast journalists by supporters of a religious party. 

About PPF and Methodology

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is an independent media documentation and training center, established in 1968 to promote development of independent media in Pakistan. Now over 65-years-old, this aim has shaped the direction and activities of the organization. In a country where the media has routinely been made a target of attacks and threats due to their work, PPF emerged out of the need to strengthen both the media’s capability to withstand repression, intimidation and to have an effective monitoring mechanism for media freedoms and media safety in the country. PPF is committed to raising the country’s journalism standard through training programs and tailored journalism production fellowships focusing on investigative reporting. PPF’s investigative journalism fellowship program was a trendsetter for fellowship programs for the media in Pakistan. PPF has long-standing relationships with local, national, and international media organizations. 

The documentation of attacks on journalists and media professionals and restrictions to free expression involve research, investigation including directly speaking to sources as well as research of secondary sources. Cases are documented and followed up on to determine the status of an incident, identify any updates and assess whether an incident was due to a journalists’ work or free expression. The numbers may change over the course of further follow up.

Journalists and media professionals requiring guidance under the Federal and Sindh media safety law in instance of attacks can contact PPF’s Media Safety Laws Help Desk at 0332-883-4088. 

The FIA seems to be following a pattern of harassment. Mallick’s arrest echoes the circumstances of another media professional’s arrest last year, Asad Ali Toor, who was also taken into custody when appearing before the FIA. 

The criminal complaint (First Information Report) against Mallick was registered by the FIA Cyber Crime Reporting Center Karachi under Sections 16, 20, and 26-A of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment Act 2025.

As per the FIR, an inquiry was registered, and a report was received regarding Raftar’s YouTube channel. The FIR alleged that the channel was “involved in running [a] campaign for posting anti-state videos targeting the dignitaries mentioned in violation on YouTube channel.” Mallick was stated as the “handler” of the channel. 

The FIR stated that during the inquiry, initial technical analysis of the YouTube channel had shown that Mallick was involved in “generating and disseminating posts and videos related to anti-state consist of fake news and public incitement agenda.” It stated that this was causing harm to the reputation of “public institutes on an international level which acts on his part constitute the commission of offence.” Based on this, a case had been registered against Mallick, and its investigation had been taken up. 

Speaking to PPF, Mallick’s daughter, Haneen Mallick, said that FIA officials forcefully entered the Raftar office without providing any explanation. She claimed they harassed her father and his team and verbally summoned him to appear at the FIA office at 1 pm the next day.

“My father went to the FIA office exactly at the time they told him, but he was made to wait until 5 pm,” she said. “Later, he was informed that he was being arrested. By 8 PM, when we still had no information, some of his friends visited the FIA office and were briefly shown an FIR — too quickly to read — before being told that he was arrested under PECA charges for allegedly producing anti-state content.”

Haneen noted that in November 2024, the FIA had issued two notices accusing Mallick of an “anti-state campaign on social media.” She said Mallick attended all related hearings and secured bail from the Sindh High Court in December.

A post on X from Mallick’s account stated: “I don’t know what crime my father is being accused of — because there isn’t one. He is a journalist who believes in truth, in holding power accountable, in giving a voice to the people. Is that now a crime? Is free journalism something to be punished?”

According to a post shared by Raftar on X, FIA officials on March 19 had visited the Raftar office “without prior notice,” harassed the team, and “verbally summoned” Mallick to their office for a hearing on March 20 at 1 pm. As per the outlet, Mallick appeared before the FIA, and after being made to wait for hours, he was arrested at 6 pm.

“We are deeply concerned by this blatant intimidation of independent journalism. Raftar stands for truth, accountability, and the right to report freely without fear. The lack of transparency in this situation raises serious questions about press freedom and the targeting of independent voices. We demand immediate clarity on Mr. Mallick’s arrest and call for the protection of journalists and media professionals from unjust harassment,” the outlet stated on X.

According to FIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre Additional Director Shahzad Haider, there was inquiry launched against Mallick three months ago, Dawn reported. The official alleged that Mallick was “formally arrested” after the inquiry was completed.

A remand request to the Judicial Magistrate Karachi East court requested police remand of Mallick till April 3. A handwritten order stated that remand had been granted for four days (till March 25). 

In November 2024, Mallick received a notice from the FIA Cyber Crime Circle in Islamabad. The notice accused him of propagating anti-state content on social media and summoned him for an inquiry in Islamabad on November 20. He faced challenges, including being stopped from a flight to Doha and being detained at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport for five and a half hours.

Mallick’s arrest has been widely condemned.

In a statement, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said that Mallick’s arrest was a “blatant attempt to stifle free speech and intimidate journalists who dare to criticize those in power.”

Demanding Mallick’s release and a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest, in a joint statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari stated: “It is imperative that the government reins in agencies like the FIA, which have a history of overstepping their authority and suppressing dissenting voices.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) demanded his immediate release and called for a transparent investigation into the matter.

“The government must check the overreach of agencies such as the @FIA_Agency and uphold the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution,” HRCP stated.

In a post shared on X, Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili condemned the arrest and stated: “His arrest reinforces our apprehension that this draconian law will be used to silence journalists and stifle journalism in the country. He should be released immediately.”

Photo Source: Farhan Mallick Linkedin

During the question hour, Ghori acknowledged concerns over slow internet speed, stating: “There are several reasons for internet slowdowns.” Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member Agha Rafiullah highlighted connectivity issues, complaining: “No videos can be downloaded, the internet does not work at all at times.”

Another PPP lawmaker, Shagufta Jumani, referenced a previous remark by PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto, saying: “There is some fish that only eats Pakistan’s cable.” Responding humorously, Ghori said: “There is some fish that cuts the internet cable, but we don’t know which fish it is.”

On February 3, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology urged the finalisation of an agreement with Starlink. Chaired by Aminul Haq, the committee discussed key projects, including the IT Ministry’s budget for FY 2024-25. Haq directed officials to expedite the licensing process for Starlink. The parliamentary secretary had confirmed that the service would be available by June 2025.

In what appears to have become a standard model of the current government, stakeholders seem to find out or at least receive clarity on the steps the government is taking in the digital media and online spaces after actions have been taken. PPF emphasizes the need for the government to recognize the importance of key stakeholders’ input and feedback in such actions through meaningful consultations ahead of laws being passed and policies being formulated.

On January 23, the National Assembly passed the PECA amendment, a day after Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled it. On January 27, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior approved the amendment. It now needs to be passed in the Senate before being sent to the president to be signed into law.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, under whose prior tenure PECA was made a law in 2016, should be well aware of the concerns of the media regarding the electronic crimes act and had also opposed an ordinance to PECA under the previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government in 2022. The PML-N has now introduced amendments to PECA via the Parliament. The lack of consultations and clarity of the amendments ahead of its passage raises questions about the intent and possible application of the law. 

Section 26 A (Punishment for false and fake information) of the recently passed amendment  reads: “Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend upto three years with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both.”

It is unclear how the intent of an individual sharing fake news can be established. We are also wary of the potential misuse of this section to target media professionals who share critical news that is then labeled as fake or false news. 

The amendment grants powers to the federal government to issue directives to the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, formed under the PECA Amendment 2025 and states that directives of the federal government would be binding on the authority and when any question arises regarding whether something is a matter of policy, the federal government’s decision would be deemed as final. This raises concerns about the federal government’s role in the functioning of the authority, and PPF has serious concerns over the federal government’s possible interference in its independent functioning. 

Additionally, the amendment confirms plans for establishing the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and grants its director general the powers of an inspector general of police (IGP). In April 2024, the federal government announced the formation of the NCCIA, set to replace the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing. In October, the rules of the  NCCIA were repealed, and the NCCIA was disbanded. It is now, under the PECA amendment, back. This back and forth, without much clarity, has plagued the current government’s digital media and online regulation policies. 

Media bodies and rights groups have criticized the amendment. 

In a statement, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) “vehemently and outrightly” rejected the amendment and threatened to hold nationwide protests. PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari called for the immediate withdrawal of the amendments, which they termed to be the “blackest law” in Pakistan’s history adopted by a democratically elected government. 

The Joint Action Committee (JAC,) including PFUJ and the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), and the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) rejected the amendments which they said were passed without consultation with media bodies. The JAC said neither they nor their members could comment on the amendments as they had not been shared a draft. They urged the government not to pass the amendments without “proper consultations” with stakeholders.

The CPNE, in a statement, said that the government should have consulted journalists’ bodies, civil society, lawyers, and human rights organizations. CPNE Free Media Committee Chairman Kazim Khan also reminded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he had been the strongest opponent of the PECA Ordinance (in 2022). CPNE said that it considers any law that affects any person’s free expression to be against human rights. 

In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was “deeply concerned” by the amendment. 

“Given the state’s poor record on protecting freedom of digital expression, the bill, if it becomes law, is likely to become yet another means of targeting political workers, human rights defenders, journalists and dissidents by effectively penalizing criticism of state institutions,” HRCP stated.

Amnesty International also said the amendment would “further tighten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape, if passed by both houses of Parliament.”

In 2024, journalists continued to come under attack with unfortunate patterns of violence against the media being repeated including targeted killings of journalists for their work, abductions, arrests and detentions, physical violence, threats both online and offline, and legal action.  

The year began with a caretaker government at the helm ahead of a delayed general election finally held in February, the results of which were contested by opposition parties.  Multiple waves of protests, predominantly by the opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI), were held throughout the year, during which journalists became the target of violence both by law enforcement, and political party workers and supporters even when they indicated they were from the media. Despite this, neither have political parties made any effort to develop policies of engaging with the media during such events, nor have authorities taken practical steps to ensure that journalists are not targeted in the crossfire during protests. Additionally, media professionals have faced threats offline as well as harassment online. 

While the media was in some instances directly targeted, the environment for free expression they worked in was also significantly tightened.  At the same time, mixed messages and little clarity were provided by authorities taking action, and a lack of meaningful consultations with stakeholders leaving citizens in the dark.

In an environment of direct attacks against the media and a tightly restricted landscape for free expression as well as disrupted access to information online, media professionals in Pakistan have to not only worry about their physical safety as attacks against them continue but also face challenges in collecting and disseminating news created through regulations and legislations, and repeated disruptions to internet access.  

Between January and December 2024, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has documented at least 162 confirmed attacks on journalists and media professionals in connection to the work and attempts of censorship to regulate and restrict free expression either through punitive measures or regulation:

• Two murders
• 72 instances of assault
• Four instances of abduction
• 12 instances of attacks on property
• Five instances of arrests
• 12 instances of detentions
• 14 instances of case registration
• Eight instances of FIA action, including call-up notices, case registration, involving at least 202 persons
• Two instances of legal action
• Two instances of placement on the Exit Control List (ECL).
• 14 instances of online harassment
• Five instances of threats
• 31 instances of censorship and restrictive regulatory directives including:
• 19 instances of internet, mobile connectivity, and social media platform disruptions, including the ban on X.
• Four restrictive directives by PEMRA.
• Eight other directives, orders, or actions that were tantamount to censorship
• Remarks by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting journalists.

In addition, there were legislative and policy-level measures that impacted media safety and free expression. These include measures taken, proposed, and in process, including: 

• The formation and repealing of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA)
• Passing of the Punjab Defamation Act, 2024
• Proposed PECA Amendment Bill 2024 that proposes forming the Digital Rights Protection Authority
• Plans for implementation of a national firewall
• Registration and restrictions on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

Internet Disruptions

The year has been marred with internet disruptions and issues with connectivity (mobile and internet). This began ahead of elections through documented internet disruptions that continued into election day. At the end of the year, at least 19 instances of disruption to internet access, social media platforms, and mobile services have been documented. While the importance of digital spaces as mediums of expression should be increasing, the state has clamped down and pushed for regulation and control of online spaces.

In a significant move, X, formerly Twitter, was first restricted on election day and then following the election results on February 17. It remains inaccessible in Pakistan without a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to date. While the courts have since been informed that X was blocked due to national security, initially, there was no clarity on why X had been closed with no authority taking responsibility, including the government or the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). It is ironic that despite a 10-month ban on X, government leaders including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continue to post on X.

As with most developments in the regulation of online access and spaces, there has been little clarity, unclear communication, and ineffective consultations held ahead of actions taken and legislation proposed. This was exemplified in the push for registration of VPNs which the authorities eventually backtracked from. Stakeholders from the IT sector have detailed the significant consequences as a result of these steps. 

In June, reports emerged that a national firewall was being installed. While the reports were initially denied, IT /Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja later admitted that the government was upgrading its web management system. The minister has also claimed that the issue of the firewall has been “blown out of proportion”. 

Meaningful consultations should be held ahead of proposing legislation and with a diverse group of stakeholders so that they include the voices of industry experts. It is also important to note that the lack of clear communication and meaningful consultations raises questions about entire processes and permits the government to evade accountability.

In a year where it felt like internet disruptions were being experienced more often than not, government officials remarks that firewall issues have been “blown out of proportion” or suggesting Pakistanis limit internet usage to “important matters only” undermine the citizens right to access information which should and must extend to information in online spaces. 

Murders

In what has become an unfortunate norm in Pakistan, murders and other forms of physical violence, abductions, threats of attacks, online harassment, attacks on property, and arrests continued in 2024. Pakistan once again found its place on the Committee to Protect Journalists Global Impunity Index of countries with the highest rates of impunity. PPF found at least two journalists’ murders to be in connection to their work — Bachal Ghunio and Khalil Jibran — both of whom were killed in targeted attacks. Two cases of murders of journalists — Nasrullah Gadani and Kamran Dawar — remain under investigation by PPF. 

A murder is the most extreme and ultimate violence against a journalist and the continued killings of media professionals in Pakistan reflect a complete disregard for the safety of the media regardless of the government at the helm.  The prevailing impunity also reflects a violation of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, which states that the government will implement best practices provided for in the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

Physical Violence

Journalists and media professionals in Pakistan worked in the midst of significant political change and upheaval. While not all attacks on the media or forms of censorship were in connection with political developments, the political narrative significantly set the tone for the nature of restrictions and challenges journalists and media professionals faced. This included violence against journalists and media professionals during political protests both at the hands of law enforcement and protestors. In other instances, internet shutdowns also coincided with political gatherings and virtual events by political parties.

Over the course of 2024, PPF has also documented at least 72 instances of assault, 14 instances of journalists facing online harassment including instances where addresses and details of family members of journalists were shared online and five instances of threats.

PPF once again calls for the much-delayed Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, to be established immediately by the federal government without any further delays. The Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners must be an actively and effectively functioning body so that incidents of violence at the provincial level can be reported, investigated, and addressed. Other provinces must follow suit and take the first step with passage of provincial media safety laws.

Attacks on Property

PPF documented at least 12 incidents of attacks on property which included at least six were attacks on the property of press clubs. These attacks and interference appear to have impacted press clubs in each province of the country. In addition to this, directives were issued to press clubs notably a directive to the Quetta Press Club barring it  from allowing any political party or organization to hold a press conference or seminar without prior approval or permission of district administration. Such steps have restricted their ability to function freely without interference, something they have a right to do.

Abductions

During the past year, incidents of a trend that has become routine as a way of targeting journalists and media professionals i.e. through their abduction was observed. In these instances, a journalist or media professional is picked up by unknown individuals and then either returns safely later or found to be under arrest. In 2024, four such incidents were documented — Matiullah Jan, Aun Ali Khosa, Ahmed Farhad, and Shakir Awan. In such cases, the lack of clarity about the circumstances of the incidents pose a challenge. However, all instances appear to be connected to their free expression. Matiullah Jan faced a similar experience in 2020, a matter taken up by the Supreme Court, which should have been a watershed moment and led to a change in patterns of impunity for such attacks against media professionals. However, Jan was again picked up this year on absurd charges including terrorism and narcotics charges. 

Arrests, Detentions and Actions by FIA

During 2024, including such incidents, five arrests have been documented. Additionally, at least 12 detentions have been documented.  At least 14 instances of case registrations and eight instances of Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) action, including call-up notices, case registration have been documented.

In an alarming start to the year, the FIA  issued notices to several dozen media professionals for allegedly participating in a campaign against the judiciary. In connection with this, journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor was arrested and later released on bail. In December, Dawn reported the FIA registered cases against 150 individuals, including journalists and vloggers, for “allegedly promoting a false narrative against state institutions, particularly the security agencies, over the November 26 crackdown on PTI supporters in Islamabad.” 

Censorship

While at the policy and legislative level there appeared to be a push to regulate digital spaces in particular, directives issued by the broadcast regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) as well as others including different courts had an impact of restricting the media’s ability to report freely including four restrictive directives by PEMRA and eight other directives, orders, or actions that were tantamount to censorship. Noteworthy amongst these was a PEMRA directive barring coverage of ongoing court proceedings. The directive was later declared unlawful by the Sindh High Court and suspended. Such measures make the ability of journalists to report very challenging. 

In a statement, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) said that pressures on television broadcasters aimed at “exerting maximum control over the media and silencing dissent.” “This one-sided portrayal of the situation is severely damaging the credibility of the media,” AEMEND stated, condemning PEMRA which it stated was acting as a “rubber stamp” and issuing “illegal notices.”

The concerns expressed by AEMEND are noteworthy and reflective of the extent of pressures on the broadcast media. It is important to consider their concerns about how the credibility of the media is being undermined particularly in an era of social media where people are able to access news including fake and misleading information.

Proposed and Passed Legislation and Policies 

Policy level decisions as well as proposed and formed bodies and proposed, passed and in process legislation reflected a push for increased policing of free expression particularly digital spaces. 

The PML-N led government at the helm of the federal government and in the Punjab, province demonstrated its lack of regard for the need to protect free expression online, presenting and approving different bills that increased the regulation of free speech online. These included the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment Bill, 2024, Punjab Defamation Act, 2024, and formation of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). 

A common trend in all such policy and legislative matters was an apparent lack of meaningful consultation with stakeholders even when some consultations were held and a lack of clarity amongst the authorities as certain policies or bodies would be introduced and then repealed. This also raises concerns about the potential misuse of such laws and policies to target critical voices, journalists, and media professionals under the guise of cyber security and defamation as well as the saga of VPN registration and the firewall installation. 

Read complete report here: http://pakistanpressfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pakistani-Journalism-Under-Pressure-in-Pakistan-in-2024.pdf

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar piloted the bill in the House on behalf of the Minister for Interior. The bill had been passed by the Senate Standing Committee on Interior in November after it was introduced in the Senate by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in October.

Tarar stated that the NFA would provide services to all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in addition to existing forensic labs and the establishment of a digital forensic lab.

The minister underscored the need for an independent NFA. Citing the overloaded forensic laboratory in Lahore, established in 2010 under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he emphasized the importance of setting up similar laboratories in all provinces to address the growing demands for forensic services.

Senators Quratulain Marri and Zamir Hussain Ghumro had moved amendments to the bill, which the House passed.

Photo source: Senate website

The targeting of media professionals during protests has become an unfortunate regular occurrence. PPF once again calls on political parties to recognize the role of the media and instead of targeting them, we urge the PTI to develop guidelines for engagement with the media. The political party leadership must set the tone for engaging with media professionals and ensure that party workers do not target and attack journalists and media outlets. 

Journalists Targeted 

Several attacks on journalists during the protests have been documented. National Press Club Secretary Nayyer Ali told PPF that they had received reports of different incidents including the harassment of women journalists. She shared that alarmingly they had received complaints that journalists were being asked their identity and when they said they were journalists, they were attacked. Additionally, different media outlets’ offices including Aik News, Samaa News and Geo News had been stormed, she shared.

Qurat-ul-Ain Sherazi, a reporter at Independent Urdu, recalled her experience, speaking to PPF: “We were reporting as usual during the protest. Suddenly, some individuals started pushing us. I was with my cameraman, covering the protest, and kept saying that they were hitting the cameraman. Suddenly, they approached me and told me to stop covering the protest. I asked them if we had done something wrong, but someone pushed me from behind. I asked again why they were pushing me and whether I had made a mistake.”

“Initially, there were only two or three people, but within four or five seconds, a small mob of about 20 to 22 people had gathered. They began hitting and pushing me. Then, something sharp struck my leg. At first, I ignored it, and we left the area. I noticed one person holding a wooden stick with a nail on it. It’s possible that’s what injured my leg.  Later, I realized my leg was bleeding, and after several hours, it became swollen.”

A cameraman for the Associated Press (AP) Mohammad Yousaf was injured when protestors attacked him on Srinagar Highway, Dawn reported adding that he was hit on his head with an iron road and his vehicle was damaged. 

Speaking to the media on November 27, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the attacks on the offices of different media outlets and thanked reporters, cameramen, and technicians who had been on duty for three days.

Attacks on media houses, DSNGs 

Aik News office was attacked by protestors on November 26. Speaking to PPF, Aik News Bureau Chief Ghulam Murtaza said that when PTI protestors reached D-Chowk, where their office is also located, they attacked the office premises. According to Murtaza, the protestors hurled stones at the office, forcefully broke the main gate, and shattered all the office windows. The staff was trapped inside the office for approximately four hours, he shared, adding that several staff members were hit by stones, sustaining minor scratches. A stone struck Murtaza himself, and Director News North Muhammad Adil, also suffered minor injuries when a stone struck him.

“Our office is on the third floor of the building. On the first floor, another media outlet, AGN News, also faced the same violent behavior from the protestors,” he added. 

Describing the incident as a mob attack, Murtaza confirmed that the organization will not take any legal action. 

Tariq Chaudhry, Bureau Chief of Aaj News, reported that protesters engaged in stone pelting during the midnight hours of November 25-26. While some damage was caused to equipment, fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the rest of the team remained safe. This incident occurred as part of the protest coverage.

Muhammad Shehryar, a reporter for Suno News, informed PPF that protesters hurled stones at Suno News’ DSNG vehicle, causing minor damage. Fortunately, the staff members remained safe.

Ayesha Rehman, an assignment editor from Geo News, recounted that she was working in the office when protesters suddenly began throwing stones at the building. “All the staff members were inside, and the lights were off. Our lead continuously urged us to leave the office, but it was our own choice to stay. No one forced us to remain or cover the protest. The organization always prioritizes our safety over covering such events,” Ayesha explained.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. However, similar violence occurred on November 24, when PTI protesters attacked Geo News‘ DSNG van. Reporters fled the scene as the situation turned extremely violent, leaving the destroyed van behind. No injuries were reported on either November 24 or November 26.

Ayesha described the atmosphere as terrifying. “Our office is in the middle of D-Chowk, and the protesters were extremely aggressive. It was difficult for anyone, including our staff, to move in or out. Whenever they saw someone with a Geo News tag, they started shouting, ‘Beat them up!’ Just because we are from Geo, they assumed we were against them and began attacking us,” she said.

Protestors try to enter National Press Club

Separately, protestors also tried to enter the premises of the National Press Club in Islamabad on November 26. 

Speaking to PPF, National Press Club Vice President Syed Zafar Hashmi said that protestors had tried to enter the premises forcibly. He said that the protestors were reportedly searching for police officials as police were firing outside the press club. For a brief period, they entered the club premises before leaving. The press club gate sustained damage, but no further harm was reported, he shared.

National Press Club Secretary Nayyer Ali told PPF that when protestors entered Islamabad, a mob of 60-70 persons tried to enter the premises. She shared that the press club has one gate on the outside where they first tried to enter from but were not permitted. She noted that the press club had also tightened security. The individuals then tried to enter from the parking gate. They tried to break the side gate doors, she shared, adding that staff was harassed and threatened by protestors who warned that they would enter. She added that then she and others arrived and provided security. Nayyer noted that many DSNGs are parked in the press club parking and once the situation calmed down a bit they permitted the media to enter. 

Commenting on the broader situation in the federal capital, Hashmi noted that PTI protestors were angered by what they perceived as inadequate media coverage of their protests, which they attributed to “unannounced censorship.” He mentioned that some incidents such as the attack on the Aik News office and attacks on several media networks DSNG vans had taken place but no significant incidents of violence were reported, as journalists were advised to prioritize safety while covering the protests. Hashmi highlighted that on-ground reporters adhered to these precautions to ensure safe reporting. 

Despite this, the documented incidents reflect insufficient measures to protect media safety by authorities and a lack of concern for the safety of journalists by PTI, whose protestors targeted the media. PPF urges the relevant authorities and political parties to work towards developing a safer environment for journalists covering protests. PPF calls for the much-delayed Commission under the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, to be established immediately by the federal government without any further delays.

Photo: View of site during clash between security officials and protesters during protest of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  at D-Chowk in Islamabad on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. (Zubair Abbasi/PPI Images).

In its concluding observations on Pakistan’s second periodic report on the implementation of provisions of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Committee raised numerous concerns about the restrictions to free expression online and offline in Pakistan as well as the “frequent reports” of attacks on and of impunity for crimes against journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society actors.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) routinely documents, investigates, and issues calls for action in response to incidents of violence, threats, and censorship of the media in Pakistan. In 2024, PPF has documented at least 117 confirmed instances of violence, intimidation, restrictive regulation, and censorship of the media. PPF has repeatedly called for the formation and effective functioning of the Commissions under the media safety laws, both federal and provincial in Sindh. 

The UN Human Rights Committee provided five steps of action for Pakistan to take to ensure compliance with Article 19 of the CCPR.

1. Take immediate steps to ensure everyone can exercise the right to free expression online and offline without interference. The Committee said this included reviewing or repealing specific legislation, end steps that “unduly restriction” free expression, including Internet shutdowns, website, and social media platforms blocks, and establishing an “independent and effective” oversight board to review and monitor decisions regarding internet censorship. The Committee said that they should ensure that any restrictions on free expression meet the conditions of the CCPR.
2. Abstain from adopting measures or laws that could further lead to “undue restrictions” on the right to free expression. The Committee cited some instances, including the countrywide firewall and E-Safety Authority Bill 2023. They called for the State to ensure “broad consultations” with stakeholders.
3. The Committee called on Pakistan to “consider decriminalizing defamation” and also ensure that certain laws, including criminal, sedition, and counter-terrorism laws, are not used to silence journalists and others.
4. Called for the investigation of all allegations of enforced disappearance, torture, killing, and intimidation of journalists and others. The Committee called for perpetrators to be brought o justice, “appropriately sanctioned,” and appropriate reparations be provided to victims.
5. Guarantee that journalists and others, including human rights defenders and civil society actors, can work “safely, freely and independently” without fear of persecution, intimidation, harassment or reprisal.
6. Take “all measures necessary” to support a pluralistic media and ensure that the environment for journalists is a “safe and enabling one.” The Committee called on Pakistan to ensure this by implementing the media safety law and establishing the Commission.

In concluding observations, the Human Rights Committee expressed concern about “arbitrary restrictions” on online and offline free expression. They cited Internet shutdowns, including in May 2023 during protests by the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf party and during the general elections in February, and the closure of social media platforms.  

The Committee voiced concern about the “chilling effect” of certain laws, including defamation laws, on the free expression of different groups of individuals, including journalists. Amongst the laws cited included the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules 2021, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Act 2023, and the Punjab Defamation Act 2024.

According to the UN Human Rights Committee, they were concerned about reports of “increased coercion and censorship” of media outlets for criticism of the government, military, and intelligence agencies. They said this included the closure and suspension of channels’ licenses by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

The Committee noted the adoption of the federal media safety law. Still, it said that it “remains concerned” about “frequent reports” of enforced disappearance, torture, killing, threats, harassment, and intimidation of journalists and others, including human rights defenders and civil society actors that were seen to be critical of the government or promoting issues considered sensitive. The Committee also noted the high level of impunity for these crimes.

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PPF draws immediate attention to the alarming situation for the safety of the media, the dismal progress and implementation of media safety legislation to protect journalists, and the lack of accountability in even the worst attacks on the media i.e. murders. It is unacceptable that over the years, despite changes in government and claims of support for journalists by different political parties, journalists in Pakistan continue to face direct risks for their work. 

The government and other duty bearers, including political party leadership, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary, must commit to ending the nearly absolute impunity enjoyed by those who target journalists and ensure that instead of regressing, the landscape for media safety in Pakistan can improve. 

Physical violence, including targeted murders, and the threats to journalists, have unfortunately become the norm in Pakistan. While media professionals face dire and direct consequences in the line of duty, the perpetrators of these attacks continue to enjoy high levels of impunity, perpetuating the cycles of violence against the media.

In 2024, PPF has documented at least 117 confirmed instances of violence, intimidation, restrictive regulation, and censorship of the media, including: 

• • Two murders
  • 48 instances of assault
  • Three cases of detention
  • Seven cases of assault and detention
  • Two arrests
  • Five attacks on the property including raids
  • 13 cases of threats and harassment majority of which were online (nine)
  • One instance of remarks targeting media 
  • Five cases registered
  • Three instances of FIA action
  • Two instances of other legal action
  • Two instances of placement on Exit Control List (ECL)
  • 24 instances of censorship including legislation or policies that would affect free expression, restrictive directives or notices to media outlets, internet, and social media closures. 

Although PPF documented 13 killings or murders of journalists and media professionals between January and October 2024, at least two murders were clearly related to the journalist’s work — Khalil Jibran and Bachal Ghunio. 

It is crucial to ensure effective and conclusive investigations into the murder of journalists so that motives can be confirmed, it can be determined whether it was due to a media professional’s work, and the perpetrators can be brought to justice. 

Recommendations

To break the cycles of violence and resulting impunity, commitments must go beyond words of support through action taken at different levels, including:

• Justice must be served to those who perpetrate violent acts against journalists in different forms, most significantly through murders and killings. Justice for these crimes is not only a matter of individual accountability but is essential to preserving the integrity of the media and the functioning of democracy. 

• Investigations into attacks on the media must reach their logical end. The high rates of impunity in the murder of journalists are entirely unacceptable. The government and relevant authorities, including law enforcement and judiciary, must ensure that all cases of journalists’ murders are properly investigated and, where necessary, cases or investigations are reopened. Those killing incidents that are in court must have regular hearings and lead to convictions rather than the current norm of inconclusive court cases for, in some cases, decades. 

• The much-delayed Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, must be established immediately by the federal government without any further delays.

• Forming the independent commission mandated by the law is critical to investigating and prosecuting attacks on journalists. Once established, the federal media safety commission must function as an active body that investigates all incidents of attacks on journalists. 

• The chairperson for the Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners under the Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Act, 2021, must immediately be appointed following the resignation of former chairperson retired Justice Nazar Akbar and the lack of clarity on appointments in the Commission must be addressed.

• The Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners must be an actively and effectively functioning body so that incidents of violence at the provincial level can be reported, investigated, and addressed. 

• Under both laws, the federal and Sindh governments are falling short of achieving their objectives to address impunity. The federal media safety law states that the government will implement best practices provided for in the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The Sindh law states that the government will develop and implement effective strategies to combat impunity, including coordinating with stakeholders to implement best practices in the UN Plan of Action. The laws are binding, and the governments must fulfill their responsibilities.

• The lack of media safety legislation at the provincial level in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan provinces in the midst of violent attacks documented against journalists in each of the provinces is reflective of a complete lack of commitment to ensuring the safety of the media. The provincial governments must introduce and pass media safety laws in their respective provinces to ensure that journalists in each province are protected under the law. 

• Political parties must enforce a code of conduct for engaging with media professionals during rallies, protests, and other physical party-related events and online to prevent violence against journalists. Leadership must reiterate such policies and ensure that supporters do not initiate violence against the media. Inflammatory remarks by political leaders must also be condemned at a party level.

• PPF has observed that during any period of protests or heightened political activity, journalists are caught in the crossfire and subject to attacks from protestors and police alike. Designated safe areas for journalists should be established during political protests and rallies to ensure their safety while reporting on these events. This is particularly achievable during pre scheduled protests and rallies.

• Journalists and media professionals in the field must be respected. In 2024, in numerous instances where journalists had identified themselves as a member of the press, including via visible press cards, they still were subject to violence and arrests. This is not acceptable.

• Following the Kenyan High Court’s ruling that declared the killing of Arshad Sharif as “unlawful,” there is a need for meaningful and conclusive court proceedings. Authorities must conduct a thorough and conclusive investigation into the killing of Sharif, including an investigation into the broader circumstances that led to his murder and reasons for his departure from Pakistan. When even the most high profile murder cases remain unresolved, there is little hope for other cases to be resolved. 

• State imposed restrictions or forms of censorship including the closure of X, formerly Twitter, as well as disruptions in internet access, set a worrying precedent for the measures that can be implemented to restrict the space for free expression. The lack of transparency, clarity and engagement with stakeholders are alarming.

• Shrinking spaces both online and offline are worrisome and the government must ensure that such measures are not being implemented to stifle debate, discussion and discourse. 

• The government must take seriously and act on the concerns regarding freedom of expression and media safety raised by United Nations Human Rights Committee members during Pakistan’s state review under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 

• Law enforcement agencies, including the police, must understand and protect the media’s role as a watchdog in society. This can be achieved in several ways, such as:

              – Law enforcement officials such as police must be trained at a district level across Pakistan so that they are better informed, equipped, and able to investigate and follow up on attacks on the media. 

              – District-level law enforcement must take ownership of the targeted attacks on media professionals in their area and work to address the persisting culture of impunity.

            – Registration of criminal complaints (First Information Reports) against those who attack journalists, formation of investigative teams, and conclusive investigations should be facilitated.

On June 18, journalist Khalil Jibran was brutally murdered in the Khyber district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Jibran, who was killed after receiving 19 bullets, had previously received threats. Khyber News Chief Editor Mubarak Ali told PPF that Jibran had frequently reported on terrorist activities in his area and had been receiving continuous threats from banned groups. Despite this, no group has claimed responsibility for the murder, and no arrests have been made. 

Jibran Khalil, son of the late journalist, also confirmed that his father had received threats prior to his death. He shared that no arrests had been made in connection to his father’s murder, adding that the family is now facing additional threats. 

Khyber Union of Journalists President Nasir Hussain told PPF he believed Khalil was murdered due to his critical reporting. So far, no one has been apprehended in relation to the crime, he shared.

In another unfortunate incident, Awaaz TV reporter Muhammad Bachal Ghunio was murdered on August 27 in the Ghotki district of Sindh province.

After Ghunio’s murder, Station House Officer and Investigation Officer Abdul Shakoor Lakho from Wasti Jeevan Shah Police Station had told PPF that he believed Ghunio was killed due to his journalism as he was living in the katcha area and kept reporting about dacoits and their facilitators. 

Awaaz TV Director of News Naz Sahito also told PPF that certain influential individuals in the district had been displeased with Ghunio’s reporting for some time. Ghunio had been receiving multiple threats, and Sahito strongly believed that his murder was directly linked to his journalistic work. 

Sahito added that the organization provides legal assistance to Ghunio’s family and has notified the Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Practitioners (CPJMP) who had responded by taking action and writing letters to the relevant authorities. Days after Ghunio’s murder, the main suspect had been arrested by police, Dawn reported. According to Sahito, while police have arrested several suspects, the actual perpetrators remain at large.

Ghunio’s brother Sachal Ghunio shared that one suspect, Shaukat Ghunio, had been arrested by police and was currently in custody. The case is being heard in the District and Sessions Judge Anti-Terrorism Court in Ghotki at Mirpur Mathelo.

Just a few months prior, Awami Awaz reporter Nasrullah Gadani was critically wounded in an armed attack on May 21 in Mirpur Mathelo in the Ghotki district and succumbed to injuries just days later on May 24. 

The lack of progress in cases of other journalists killed in the line of duty in Pakistan paint a dismal picture. Pakistan has been on the Committee to Protect Journalists Global Impunity Index of countries with the highest rates of impunity, since it was launched. 

The murder of journalists and media professionals for their work is the ultimate silencing tool and the worst instance of attack possible. These murders are not isolated incidents; they are part of a broader, disturbing pattern of violence targeting journalists in Pakistan. Physical violence, threats of violence, and other forms of intimidation of the media are commonplace in Pakistan. 

As with murders, the repeat occurrence of these forms of violence, intimidation, and censorship over the years is reflective of the dismal situation for media safety and the level of impunity for those who are behind such attacks, which enables the same trends to continue year after year. The situation reflects an absence of effective preventative, protective, and prosecutorial mechanisms as outlined in the UN Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. Each attack on a journalist, whether an act of manhandling, a threatening message on social media, or a regulatory directive banning coverage, contributes to an overall culture of fear and censorship. 

A common trend observed during the past year, similar to 2023, was waves of violence against media professionals during periods of heightened political activity, including protests. 

In Karachi, ten police officers were suspended for violence against women protestors and journalists during a day of protests on October 13. Journalists were assaulted, their equipment was damaged and they were detained by police. Zulfiqar Wahucho, the General Secretary of the Karachi Press Club Cultural Committee, News One reporter Shoukat Korai, and KTN News journalists Allah Rakhyo, Altaf Channa, and Pavan Kumar were among the affected media persons.

Separately, during protests held by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI) party in late September and early October, several journalists were assaulted and detained by police as well as attacked by protestors. The recurring mistreatment of media professionals during politically charged events highlights an alarming trend where both law enforcement and political party members have disregarded press freedom and the role that media plays in covering key developments. 

Blatant violations of the media safety law were also documented with the seizure of electronic devices of journalists. In one case, Geo News reporter Haider Shirazi was tortured by police officers while filming police actions against a protester on September 28 in Islamabad. Despite identifying himself as a journalist, Shirazi’s phone was confiscated in contravention of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021,  and he was taken to an undisclosed location.

The law states that every journalist and media professional has the right to privacy which includes protection against interference with his/her home, correspondence and family. It requires the government to ensure that no person, officer, agency or institution unlawfully or arbitrarily interferes with the right to privacy of any journalist, reporter, or media professional and his/her home, correspondence (including electronic correspondence) and family.

General elections were held in February largely without incidents of violence against the media; however, sporadic incidents were documented in the lead-up to the elections during political party rallies, and journalists faced vile campaigns, rhetoric, and harassment online, particularly women journalists and media professionals. 

The ability of journalists to report on election day was severely hampered by the closure of mobile connectivity and data services countrywide. The suspension was attributed to security concerns but stayed in place for hours after the end of polling at 5 pm. A “lack of communication” was also blamed for the delay in announcing results. Additionally, social media platform X was blocked on February 17, and over eight months later, X remains inaccessible in Pakistan without a VPN. Multiple disruptions to internet access have been documented this year amid reports of the government installing a national firewall.

Meanwhile, the broadcast regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA),  has consistently overstepped its mandate as a regulator and blocked entire areas of coverage, leaving the broadcast media unable to cover critical developments. Most recently, PEMRA issued show-cause notices to television channels for their coverage of the terrorist attack on October 6 near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. The media must be able to report on critical developments in the country, including incidents of violence and terror, without facing punitive measures for doing so.

There has also been an attempt to curtail physical spaces for free expression. In one such instance, district administration issued a directive to the Quetta Press Club restricting them from allowing any political party or organization to hold a press conference or seminar without prior approval or permission of district administration. This prohibition undermines the press club’s independence and autonomy. The press club must be able to operate without interference, which it has a right to do so.

In an alarming development, at the start of 2024, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issued notices to several dozen media professionals for allegedly participating in a campaign against the judiciary. In connection with this, journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor was arrested by the FIA on February 26, when he appeared before the FIA Cyber Crime Wing in Islamabad in response to the latest of a series of notices issued to him. Despite the media safety law protecting the right to privacy, before he was eventually released on March 16, on bail, the relevant courts were informed that the journalists’ devices had been confiscated, with his lawyer adding that Toor’s mobile had been taken.

During Pakistan’s state review of the implementation of provisions of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in October, it was noted that the threats to journalists, killings, and disappearance of journalists were widespread, and this was “fuelling a climate of self-censorship.” Additionally, they said that there was “near total impunity.” As per a press release issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Human Rights Committee questioned what prosecutions were issued to address impunity and to guarantee remedial measures for victims and their families. They questioned how the State ensured that laws were not used unfairly to target journalists and what the appeals process was for journalists. They asked what steps had been taken to establish the commission to protect journalists’ rights. 

We urge the government to share the details and progress of the committees established to investigate violence against journalists and immediately establish the Commission required under the media safety law. The concerns raised by the UN Human Rights Committee should act as an impetus for meaningful action to reduce the violence against the media and the endemic impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of this violence.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists serves as a disheartening reminder of the lack of safety for journalists and the continued violence and fear that the media in Pakistan has to work within. The relevant authorities must take immediate steps to reverse course rather than allowing the culture of impunity for attacks on journalists to persist, enabling the violence against journalists to continue without repercussions.

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An investigation into police misconduct has been initiated, with officers who assaulted journalists facing consequences. DIG South Asad Raza condemned the violent treatment, stating: “Strict action will be taken against the police officials involved in the ill-treatment.” He stressed that such behavior towards journalists, even after they identified themselves, is unacceptable.

According to ARY News, law enforcement officials have behaved violently with some journalists while dispersing protestors outside the Karachi Press Club.

The protests occurred at multiple locations — outside the Karachi Press Club, Teen Talwar, and Hotel Metropole — by some religious organizations and civil society organizations.

On October 12, the Karachi commissioner enforced a five-day ban on public gatherings from October 13 to 17, citing security concerns. The restriction, implemented on the advice of the additional inspector general (AIG), prohibited protests, sit-ins, and rallies across the city.

The journalists were added to the Fourth Schedule during a District Intelligence Coordination Committee (DICC) meeting on October 7, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of South Waziristan (Upper). The meeting included representatives from civil, military, and intelligence agencies. Under Section 11 of the ATA 1997, the journalists were listed, triggering an outcry from media organizations and press freedom advocates.

The Deputy Commissioner of Waziristan admitted that the journalists’ names were “erroneously” included. He confirmed that the Home Department had been informed.

Speaking to the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Farooq Mehsud expressed relief that the mistake was being corrected but remained cautious as they waited for formal action from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and the Home Department. The journalists highlighted how their inclusion on the list severely impacted their ability to perform their duties in an already difficult region.

The Pashtun Journalists Association (PJA) strongly condemned the wrongful listing of the journalists. “The PJA demands an immediate end to actions targeting media professionals, and the names of the Mehsud Press Club journalists must be removed from the Fourth Schedule without delay,” the association declared in its statement.

PPF emphasizes that such attacks on the press are not isolated incidents but part of an ongoing pattern during politically heated protests. Similar abuses were reported in previous PTI protests and rallies. PPF urges political parties, law enforcement agencies, and relevant authorities to develop a code of conduct that safeguards media professionals during protests and rallies, ensuring their safety and the continuation of reporting. Political protestors and law enforcement must not lump journalists with protestors, as the media’s role is distinctly different and must be respected.

A wave of attacks on journalists and media professionals was documented during the recent protests at the end of September and the first week of October. Geo News reporter Haider Shirazi was tortured by police officers while filming police actions against a protester on September 28 in Islamabad. Despite identifying himself as a journalist, Shirazi’s phone was confiscated in direct contravention of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021,  and he was taken to an undisclosed location. Additionally, Sajjad Kazmi, a reporter for Such TV, and his cameraman Fakhar Hayat were beaten by police officers on October 4 while covering a PTI protest in Faizabad, Islamabad. Kazmi stated: “We kept telling them we were journalists, but they didn’t listen and continued attacking us.”

Qamar Makeen, a reporter for GTV, was also assaulted while covering a PTI protest on October 5 in Islamabad. Makeen reported that around 8 to 9 pm, while passing through the Shaheed-e-Millat area, he witnessed police officers beating a person on the ground. As he began recording, the police approached him, and despite his attempts to show his press card and identify himself as a journalist, they grabbed him by the collar, dragged him, and beat him. Makeen recalled an officer saying, “Ruk abhi teri sahafat nikaalte hain” (“Wait, we’ll deal with your journalism now”). He was only released when other officers intervened. Shaken, he sought refuge in a nearby office.

On October 4, Tahir Naseer, a senior reporter for Dawn News, and freelance cameraman Yasir Mehmood were attacked by police while covering a PTI rally at Dhok Kala Khan Bridge, Express Highway in  Islamabad. Naseer stated that the police, under the pretense of checking their press cards, snatched their wallets and attempted to seize their equipment. Despite identifying themselves as journalists, they were assaulted. Station House Officer Khanna, Irshad Cheema, slapped Naseer and ordered further shelling on them while other officers attempted to confiscate their mobile phones. Both Naseer and Mehmood narrowly escaped the attack.

Digital journalist Zeeshan Noor Chaudhry shared in a post on X that he was arrested while covering the PTI protests in Islamabad. Hasnain Rafiq, an anchor for Naya Pakistan Channel, said his home was raided. Makhdoom Shahab Uddin, Islamabad, in a post shared on X,  said he was arrested and later released.

Zahida Rao, a reporter for ABN News, reported harassment and physical restraint by male police officers during her coverage of a protest in Islamabad. Despite showing her press card, she was surrounded and forced to delete footage documenting police violence. Similarly, Allah Noor Wazir, a reporter for Mashriq TV, was beaten with sticks by police officers while covering a PTI protest in China Chowk, Islamabad, sustaining injuries to his hand and leg.

Amanat Goshkari, a crime reporter for 24 News, was fired upon with rubber bullets by police during the Islamabad protests on October 3. Goshkari had been assigned by his office to cover the protest; while he stood on the sidelines and his cameraman was capturing footage, the police began firing tear gas and bullets at the protesters, and a rubber bullet struck him, resulting in an eye injury.

Baber Malik, a reporter for ARY News, was attacked by PTI protestors on September 28 while covering events on Muree Road, Islamabad. Malik recounted how stones were thrown at him by protestors, causing minor injuries and damaging his mobile phone.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) have strongly condemned these escalating attacks and demanded immediate action from both the government and PTI to protect media workers. 

The RIUJ also emphasized that these violent incidents are not misunderstandings but deliberate attacks on press freedom. RIUJ officials have called for clear government policies to address whether this brutality is sanctioned or a result of local police actions.

PPF reiterates its demand that authorities hold the perpetrators accountable, initiate comprehensive investigations, and create protective mechanisms for journalists. Press freedom must be preserved so journalists can perform their duties without fear of violence or persecution.

A show-cause notice was issued on October 8 to multiple television channels following the coverage of the explosion. In it, television channels were reprimanded for airing images, footage, and live reporting from the location in their bulletins. The notice stated that broadcasters had been directed to refrain from the broadcast or rebroadcast and live coverage of “any unfortunate/unpleasant incident” such as an explosion, blast, or firing. 

In February 2023, PEMRA issued a directive following another terrorist incident in Karachi, in which the regulator prohibited television channels from covering terrorist attacks.

Reacting to the latest show-cause notices issued to multiple television channels, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (Aemend) stated they were “illegal” and an attempt to exert pressure on media channels. 

In a statement, Aemend said that television channels constantly face announced and unannounced restrictions from PEMRA. Aemend said the show-cause notices, based on coverage of the attack, were an attempt to impose illegal censorship on television channels. 

Aemend noted that contrary to the “baseless allegations” leveled in the show-cause notice, television channels had covered the incident very responsibly, adding that no institution was above the law and if any broadcaster had violated the code of conduct, it could be looked at as per the law, but in disguise to issue all channels notices displayed malafide intentions and were unacceptable.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also condemned the show-cause notices. In a statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said that it was a “blatant attempt to pressure and manipulate media outlets.” They called for the withdrawal of the “uncalled for and illegitimate notices.”

The directive issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner Quetta on August 27 stated that “owing to the current law and order situation,” no political party or organization was allowed to organize a conference or seminar at the Quetta Press Club without the permission of the district administration. The press club was informed that no conference or seminar could be held without a non-objection certificate (NOC) or permission from the district administration.

The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) strongly condemned the directive and stated it was a “reprehensible” attempt to control the media unconstitutionally and illegally. The BUJ stated that the press club is an independent institution and is not bound to abide by the district administration’s unconstitutional directive. It added that the press club had always been mindful of its responsibilities and played the role of a bridge between the government and the people.

Speaking to PPF, Quetta Press Club General Secretary Banaras Khan said a meeting had been called to discuss the matter on August 29 with members of the Quetta Press Club, BUJ, and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).

In a statement, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) took “serious exception” to the directive. In a statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said: “This is an attempt to curb free speech and press freedom in the country, and it is rejected and will not be accepted.” PFUJ called for the withdrawal of the directive and urged the administration to “desist from such ruthless practices.”

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) rejected the directive. It cautioned that this was such an attack on free expression that it could also spread to other provinces after Balochistan. In a joint statement, CPNE President Irshad Ahmed Arif and other duty-bearers said that no such directive could be accepted that restricts the right to free expression and the Constitutional right to provide people with information.

The Karachi Press Club also condemned the directive, with President Saeed Sarbazi describing it as a “blatant attack on the fundamental principles of freedom of press and freedom of speech.”

Earlier this year, on May 18, police and local administration in Quetta locked the Quetta Press Club to reportedly stop the Balochistan Yakjehti Committee (BYC) from holding a seminar. According to the press club administration, the assistant commissioner had asked them not to permit the seminar and locked the hall and main gate.

Ignoring the locking of the gates, members of the BYC broke the lock and held their seminar.

“These violations should trigger the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU-targeted sanctions against those responsible. Regrettably, the EU 27 governments are yet to unanimously acknowledge, attribute, and condemn the Israeli forces’ crimes in Gaza,” read the letter to EU leaders.

Read the full letter below:

To:

Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission

Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis

European Commission, Executive Vice-President for An Economy that Works for People

In copy: Foreign Ministries of EU Member States

Dear High Representative / Vice-President Borrell and Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis,

Our organizations are writing to request that the European Union take action against the Israeli authorities’ unprecedented killing of journalists and other violations of media freedom, in contravention of Israel’s human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations. These are part of widespread and systematic abuses committed by Israeli authorities in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and elsewhere, as documented or acknowledged by Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs, UN experts, the International Court of Justice, and in a request for arrest warrants by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. These violations should trigger the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU targeted sanctions against those responsible. Regrettably, the EU 27 governments are yet to unanimously acknowledge, attribute, and condemn the Israeli forces’ crimes in Gaza.

Since October 7, 2023, when fighters led by Hamas’ armed wing carried out numerous and coordinated attacks on civilians and hostage-taking in Israel, the Netanyahu administration has taken an unprecedented series of steps to curtail media freedom that has effectively resulted in the establishment of a censorship regime.

The ongoing attacks against journalists and media freedom by Israeli authorities requiring urgent action include:

Unprecedented killings of journalists: Press freedom organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have recorded the killings of more than 100 Palestinian journalists and media workers  in Gaza, as well as two Israeli and three Lebanese journalists, since October 7, making it the deadliest period for journalists in the decades that these organizations have been gathering data. Many of these journalists were wearing press insignia when killed. The decimation and displacement of Gaza’s press corps has meant that fewer local journalists are left to report on the hostilities in Gaza.

Targeted killings of journalists: CPJ found that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) directly targeted and killed at least five journalists¹, and CPJ is researching at least 10 other deaths that indicate possible IDF targeting². Other organizations such as RSF believe the number of targeted killings may be higher. Documenting and verifying the details necessary to conclude that targeting has occurred, while access to Gaza is constrained and reporting conditions remain dire, is difficult. The targeted or indiscriminate killing of journalists, if committed deliberately or recklessly, is a war crime. In one of these attacks, an IDF tank strike killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah in southern Lebanon on October 13, as documented by extensive independent investigations by human rights and media organizations and supported by extensive forensic video analysis.³

Ban on independent media access to Gaza: While some restrictions on reporting are common in war, the effective total ban on journalists entering Gaza — both foreign nationals and Israeli and Palestinian journalists — is unprecedented in modern times. Journalists have been able to report from the frontlines in almost every major conflict over the past three decades: from Ukraine to Rwanda. By comparison, despite the Israeli government press office issuing media credentials to approximately 2,800 international journalists to enter Israel since the conflict began, only select journalists have been allowed to enter the Gaza Strip — all under Israeli military escort and with restrictions on reporting.⁴ Consequently, more than 70 news outlets and civil society organizations have recently urged that Israel grant independent access to Gaza.

Record-high arbitrary detention: Since October 7, Israel has arrested at least 49 journalists and media workers — often without charge — in what they and their attorneys say is retaliation for their journalism and commentary. At least 13 are being held under administrative detention, a policy under which a military commander may detain an individual without charge, typically for six months, on the grounds of preventing them from committing a future offense, and extended an unlimited number of times. The use of the procedure has repeatedly been declared a form of arbitrary detention by the UN.

Enforced disappearance: Palestinian journalists Nidal Al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdelwahid have been detained by Israeli authorities since October 7, while they were reporting on the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel. Since then, the Israeli authorities have refused to disclose information about their whereabouts, the legal grounds for their arrest, or even confirmation that they are still alive.

Allegations of torture and mistreatment: There are a growing number of allegations by journalists of torture and mistreatment while arrested or detained by Israeli authorities. While lack of access to Gaza has hampered research organizations’ ability to independently confirm these accounts, they are consistent with the evidence of systemic ill-treatment of detainees in Israeli custody documented by civil society organizations and the United Nations.

Censorship and egregious limitations of media freedom: More broadly, legal impediments and significant impairments to independent reporting within Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory have expanded since October 7. In Israel, press freedom has been curtailed by an increasing number of banned articles, government officials’ anti-press rhetoric, alleged attempts to seemingly control news outlets, and attacks on Israeli reporters, among other threats. In April 2024, Israel also passed a law that empowers the government to temporarily ban the broadcasting of international news outlets in Israel if they are deemed a threat to national security, resulting in the shuttering of Al Jazeera within Israel. In May 2024, Israel temporarily confiscated equipment from the Associated Press for providing live video feeds to Al Jazeera. There are also ongoing internet shutdowns that prevent news and testimonies from Gaza from reaching the outside world, extensive allegations of harassment and intimidation, and reports that more than 50 media offices have been destroyed or damaged in Gaza.

Failure to investigate or hold perpetrators to account: Despite repeated calls by civil society organizations, none of these attacks, killings, or other allegations of abuse against journalists have been transparently or comprehensively investigated by the IDF. The IDF has a longstanding pattern of impunity that predates the current conflict: in May 2023, CPJ documented at least 20 journalists killed by the IDF over the past 22 years, including American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and no one had ever been charged or held accountable for their deaths. The Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Yesh Din have independently concluded that when Israeli military investigations do occur, they serve as a “whitewash mechanism,” findings that are supported by other organizations such as Human Rights Watch.

Journalists play an indispensable role in documenting and reporting on war crimes and other human rights violations. The cumulative effect of these abuses is to create the conditions for an information void, as well as for propaganda and mis- and disinformation. While Israel contends that its actions are to keep its people safe, history shows that censorship and denial of the right to information is a flawed path to peace or security.

We, therefore, write to you today to call for the suspension of the Israel / EU Association Agreement on the basis that it has violated international human rights and criminal law and for the adoption of targeted sanctions against IDF officials and others responsible.

In addition, European leaders should unequivocally and publicly ask that Israel meet the following demands on press freedom:

Provide access and uphold the freedom to report 

• Lift its blockade on international, Israeli, and Palestinian journalists from independently accessing Gaza.
• Revoke legislation permitting the government to shut down foreign outlets and refrain from any further legal or regulatory curtailment of media operations.
• Release all Palestinian journalists from administrative detention or who are otherwise held without charge.

Protect the lives of journalists 

• Abjure the indiscriminate and deliberate killing of journalists.
• Guarantee the safety of all journalists, including allowing the delivery of newsgathering equipment and safety gear to reporters in Gaza and the West Bank.
• Allow all journalists seeking to evacuate from Gaza to do so.

Ensure accountability and end impunity 

• Transparently reform its investigation procedures to ensure that all investigations into alleged war crimes, criminal conduct, or violations of human rights are swift, thorough, effective, transparent, independent, and in line with internationally accepted practices. Investigations into abuses against journalists must then be promptly conducted in accordance with these procedures.
• Allow international investigators and human rights organizations, including United Nations (UN) special rapporteurs, investigators for the International Criminal Court, and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, unrestricted access to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory to investigate suspected violations of international law by all parties.

Thank you for the consideration of our requests.

Signed: 

1. Association of European Journalists (AEJ-Bulgaria)
2. Association of Journalists of Albania (AJA, Albania)
3. Association of Polish Journalists (SDP, Poland)
4. Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA, Albania)
5. BH Journalists Association (BHJA, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
6. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
7. CFDT-Journalistes (France)
8. Committee to Protect Journalists
9. Community Media Forum Europe
10. Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA, Croatia)
11. Danish Union of Journalists (DJ, Denmark)
12. (The) Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
13. DISK Press Labour Union (DİSK Basın-İş, Turkey)
14. Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ, The Netherlands)
15. Estonian Association of Journalists
16. Ethical Journalism Network (EJN)
17. EuroMed Rights
18. European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
19. European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
20. Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España, FAPE, Spain)
21. Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
22. General Association of Professional Journalists in Belgium (AGJPB/AVBB, Belgium)
23. Human Rights Watch (HRW)
24. Hungarian Press Union (HPU, Hungary)
25. IFEX
26. Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS, Serbia)
27. Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM, North Macedonia)
28. Index on Censorship
29. Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM)
30. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
31. International Media Support (IMS)
32. International Press Institute (IPI)
33. Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN, Greece)
34. Journalists’ Union of Turkey (Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası, TGS, Turkey)
35. Luxembourg Association of Professional Journalists (Association luxembourgeoise des journalistes professionnels, ALJP, Luxembourg)
36. Media Diversity Institute
37. National Federation of the Italian Press (Federazione Nazionale della Stampa Italiana, FNSI, Italy)
38. National Union of Journalists – General Confederation of Labor (Syndicat National des Journalistes – Confédération Générale du Travail, SNJ-CGT, France)
39. National Union of Journalists of Ukraine
40. Norwegian Union of Journalists (Norsk Journalistlag, Norway)
41. OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
42.  Ossigeno.info
43. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
44. Periodical & Electronic Press Union (PEPU, Greece)
45. Portuguese Union of Journalists (SinJor)
46. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
47. Rory Peck Trust
48. Serbian Journalists’ Union (Sinos, Serbia)
49. Slovenian Association of Journalists (Društvo Novinarjev Slovenije, DNS, Slovenia)
50. Slovenian Union of Journalists (SNS, Slovenia)
51. South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
52. Spanish Federation of Journalists’ Unions (Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas, FeSP, Spain)
53. Swedish Union of Journalists (Sweden)
54. Trade Union for Culture, Art and Media (UGS-Nezavisnost, Serbia)
55. Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ, Croatia)
56. Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM, Montenegro)
57. Turkish Journalists’ Association (Gazeteciler Cemiyeti Dernegi, GCD, Turkey)
58. Union of Bulgarian Journalists (SBJ, Bulgaria)
59. Union of Journalists in Finland (Suomen Journalistiliitto, Finland)
60. Union of Journalists of Andalusia (SPA-FeSP, Spain)

¹ The five journalists targeted and killed are Reuters journalist and Lebanese national Issam Abdallah in southern Lebanon and Palestinian journalists Hamza Al Dahdouh, Mustafa Thuraya, Ismail Al Ghoul, and Rami Al Refee in Gaza. CPJ also found that the IDF deliberately targeted journalists before Oct. 7, as in the case of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, whose killing is the subject of an ongoing Justice Department investigation. See CPJ report finds no accountability for journalists killed by the Israeli military over the past two decades, Committee to Protect Journalists (May 9, 2023).

²Other organizations such as RSF believe the number of targeted killings may be higher; however, documenting and verifying the details necessary to conclude that targeting has occurred, while access to Gaza is constrained and reporting conditions remain dire, is difficult.

³See independent investigations by Reuters, AFP, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders.

⁴A small number of journalists have entered Gaza whilst embedded with the Israeli military on very short visits that offer a limited and curated view of the conflict, and a CNN correspondent briefly reported from inside Gaza after entering with an Emirati aid group. See Patrick Kingsley, A Glimpse Inside A Devastated Gaza, New York Times (Jan. 9, 2024). The ban on journalists’ access has been upheld by Israel’s Supreme Court. Access from Egypt is also impossible.

Speaking to PPF, Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Qazi Fazal Ullah said that Jibran was killed by the firing of unidentified individuals near his home in the Mazreena area, near Landi Kotal Cantt. He said that the individuals took Jibran out of his car and shot at him. He received 19 bullets, Ullah said, adding that one person traveling with him, Advocate Sajjad, also received minor injuries. According to a Dawn report, the attackers had ordered the three other passengers to get out as they were not the targets.

Following the incident, Jibran’s body remained on the spot for a few hours as out of fear no one was able to transport it. Four hours later, police transported the body to Landi Kotal Hospital, where his post-mortem examination was conducted.  The TUJ president said Jibran had faced threats and had faced three attacks in the past, one of which he was also injured in. 

Khyber News Chief Editor Mubarak Ali told PPF that so far, no investigative team had been formed and urged the relevant authorities to form an investigative team. He also urged the provincial and federal government to support Jibran’s family. Jibran leaves behind a wife and six children.

In a statement, Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nasir Hussain and other duty-bearers expressed grave concern about the incident and declared it a failure of the government and administration. The KhUJ leadership urged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the Army’s Corp Commander to immediately arrest those who murdered Jibran. Speaking to PPF, Hussain said that nothing had happened yet in the investigation.

The KhUJ also demanded the provincial government take practical steps to implement a journalists’ protection bill, in the style of the federal and Sindh governments so that there can be support in ensuring the safety of journalists. 

The TUJ along with the Khyber Union of Journalists and Peshawar Press Club and others staged a protest outside the press club on June 20. They demanded that the government form a judicial commission for investigations into journalists’ murders and through transparent inquiries those involved in such incidents should be punished. 

“We don’t want bodies; we want suspects and accused arrested,” TUJ president Ullah told PPF, adding that they had little faith in the authorities due to the lack of progress in the previous murders of journalists in the region. He also demanded the Peshawar High Court chief justice and Chief Justice of Pakistan to launch a judicial inquiry. 

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) strongly condemned the murder of Jibran and demanded the government arrest the killers and provide protection to media persons. 

In a statement issued by PFUJ President Afzal Butt and other office bearers, said even though Jibran had been facing threats from terrorists, no protection was provided to him. They urged KP CM Gandapur and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to “immediately take measures to arrest the killers.”

In a statement, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) condemned the murder and criticized higher authorities for failing to stop such incidents. 

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), in a statement by President Irshad Ahmed Arif and other office bearers, expressed concern over Jibran’s murder and said that journalists are being murdered around the country and federal, provincial authorities, and law enforcement agencies have failed to provide them security. 

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the killing and stressed the need to take measures to protect journalists in the country. In his condemnation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the provincial chief minister and relevant authorities to ensure the immediate arrest of those behind the murder.  The provincial chief minister Gandapur has taken notice of the incident and directed police to make “all-out efforts to arrest his killers immediately.”

A criminal complaint or First Information Report was registered on the same day at the Landi Kotal Police Station under Sections 302 and 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 7ATA by ASI Landi Kotal Police Station Zeenat Khan.

On May 21, Gadani was shot near Kori Goth, which is 12km from Mirpur Mathelo in the Sindh province, receiving gunshot wounds.

A First Information Report (criminal complaint) had not yet been registered. Awami Awaz Deputy Editor Nasir Khattak said that the journalist’s family wants to focus on saving his life first and then the next steps. 

On May 22, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Sukkur Range announced the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the attack on Gadani. The JIT was set up, including the SSP Ghotki, ASP/SDPO Mirpur Mathelo, DSP/SDPO Ghotki, SHO PS Mirpur Mathelo, and SHO PS Jarwar.   The notification said the JIT will make “all-out efforts” to arrest the culprits, and the head of the JIT will provide a daily report to assess the efforts.

The motives behind the attack on Gadani are not yet clear. As per media reports and PPF’s findings, Gadani used to cover news critical of feudals and politicians, etc.

Khattak told PPF that Gadani was going from his home to the city when, near Chandio Petrol Pump, three people on one motorcycle stopped him and shot him. 

He was initially taken to the hospital in Mirpur Mathelo and then shifted to Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, where he underwent surgery. Gadani has since been shifted after being airlifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Karachi. 

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon shared on X, formerly Twitter, that the Sindh government would bear the cost of expenses.

Sindh Minister for Home, Law, and Parliamentary Affairs Ziaul Hasan Lanjar had condemned the “murderous attempt” on Gadani and said that the perpetrators would be “brought to justice at the earliest.”

The Karachi Union of Journalists President Faheem Siddiqui, General Secretary Liaquat Ali Rana, and executive committee members strongly condemned the attack on Gadani and urged the Sindh inspector general of police to arrest the perpetrators immediately. 

In a statement, CPNE President Arshad Arif, Secretary General Ijaz ul Haq, and Sindh Vice President Aamir Mahmood condemned the attack on Gadani and termed it a failure of the Sindh government and law enforcement agencies.

The government must also explain why multiple regulatory and oversight bodies for the digital sphere are required. At a time when digital spaces are increasingly relevant for discourse and expression, the push for monitoring, regulation, and clamping down on content shared online is counterproductive. 

The unilateral approval and passage of such legislation and regulatory bodies give the impression that the input of stakeholders is not welcome or worthy of consideration. It also raises questions about how these laws will function. PPF urges the government to hold meaningful consultations with relevant stakeholders before making any amendments or passing legislation.

PPF urges the government to provide clarity on the functioning of, two new bodies to regulate content online in Pakistan — the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and the Digital Rights Protection Authority — that have been introduced or approved. 

Additionally, we urge the government to maintain transparency in the functioning of the new regulatory bodies and the use of the defamation law in Punjab. 

Digital Rights Protection Authority

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a draft to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, under which the Digital Rights Protection Authority would be set up, The News reported on May 9. The bill will be presented before the parliament after the federal cabinet’s approval without meaningful consultation with relevant stakeholders.

According to The News, the digital protection authority will have a broad scope of responsibilities, including advice to the government on digital rights, enforcing regulations, investigating violations of the PECA law on social media, taking action against those who are in violation, “demand information” for individuals and others.

The broad scope of the protection authority and the need to further amend the already draconian PECA, 2016 law that has been used to target media professionals is concerning. PPF urges the government to provide clarity on the need for multiple regulatory bodies for the digital sphere and emphasizes the need to ensure that these bodies are not used to clamp down on the right to free expression as enshrined in the Constitution.

Additionally, we urge for transparency in data handling by the NCCIA and the digital rights protection authority once established. Ensuring that data protection laws are respected and adequate safeguards are in place is essential to maintaining trust in digital communications.

Punjab defamation law

On May 13, the Punjab Defamation Bill 2024 was presented at the provincial Punjab Assembly without stakeholder consultations. The PML-N government is also at the helm of the province. 

According to The Express Tribune, under the law, fines can be imposed and social media accounts can be blocked of those found to be spreading defamatory content.

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has rejected the bill and termed it a prohibition on freedom of the press and free expression.

Defamation laws globally have, in some instances, been used to stifle free expression. Similar to policing content online for being propaganda, defamation can be subject to interpretation and PPF is wary of misuse of the law to target media professionals found to be critical.

National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency

Per a notification issued by the Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, dated April 24, the federal government has announced the formation of a new cybercrime agency — the NCCIA — set to replace the functions of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Wing without civil society consultation.

According to the notification, the personnel, cases, inquiries, investigations, assets, liabilities, rights, obligations, privileges and matters of the “defunct cyber crime wing of the FIA” would be transferred to the NCCIA. 

According to Dawn, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had said that a separate authority was being formed to “safeguard the digital rights of people” and, to “counter propaganda and rumors on social media” as well as to end harassment online.  

Vague terms such as propaganda and rumors are open to interpretation, PPF is cautious about the state determining what propaganda and rumors are so that such labels are not misused to censor and target the media. The former iteration of the NCCIA, FIA Cybercrime Wing, has displayed a targeting of the media under the guise of cybersecurity, which has involved issuing notices and arrests of media professionals for content shared online or on social media platforms.

—- ENDS——

 World Press Freedom Day 2024

Over the past year, as its role became increasingly important in a year of key political developments, the media in Pakistan experienced a clampdown with efforts to stifle free speech at all levels and the impact of previous restrictions and reprisal bearing fruit to silence the media. 

The year saw direct action against media professionals including threats, physical attacks and legal action, to regulation, and the sometimes unexplained and repeated closures to internet access and mobile connectivity. As a result, journalists and media professionals were limited in their ability to report and worked within an overly regulated and restrictive media landscape riddled with red lines and a fear of consequences. 

At the helm, the new government must ensure that the media’s ability to freely report is not undermined through a push for regulatory laws, punitive action against journalists and media professionals or through extended closures of social media platforms. The government must stay true to its word and ensure that they support free expression and media safety in the country. 

In December 2022, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had promised the implementation of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021. This implementation is still lacking and as the premier again, the premier must follow up and ensure that this law is made active first and foremost by drafting the rules of the law and establishing the Commission required under the law. 

At a time of horrific violence against journalists in Gaza with the killing of 97 journalists since October 2023, as documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Pakistan must emphasize its commitment to the safety of journalists and media professionals not just domestically but at a global scale.

Key political events in Pakistan between 2023 and 2024 culminated in a general election on February 8, after much anticipation and uncertainty about when they were to be held. In the midst of heightened political activity, the role of the media was essential in ensuring timely and accurate coverage of developments including the arrest of the opposition leader and members of a political party, a caretaker government being sworn in, build up to the elections, election day and aftermath of the election. 

However, an overall environment of fear of consequences for those who pushed the boundaries in place as well as a lack of clarity about restrictions imposed resulted in a controlled and largely self censored media hampering its ability to cover general elections in a free and unhindered manner. This led to a hindered and restricted media covering the elections and all the surrounding development both in the lead up and post election period. 

Read the full report: http://pakistanpressfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/World-Press-Freedom-Day-2024-April-29.pdf 

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) invites applications for the Media Safety Reporting Fellowship. The fellowship program aims to promote freedom of expression by supporting media professionals to produce in-depth investigative stories about media safety and impunity in crimes against journalists.

The fellowship will include the following:

• A stipend for the production of stories.
• Participation in two capacity-building workshops.
• Editorial and technical support in the production of six investigative stories.

Selected participants will work under the supervision of a senior journalist who will act as fellowship editor during the course of the fellowship.  During the fellowship program, each fellow will be expected to produce six stories for publication or broadcast in national media organizations.

Journalists with experience of at least three years and a commitment to promoting the safety of journalists are encouraged to apply. 

Women journalists, journalists from vulnerable communities, and journalists from all parts of the country, including Balochistan, Newly Merged Tribal Districts/former FATA districts, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, are encouraged to apply.

Preference will be given to fellows who will commit to investigating impunity for specific cases of journalists killed or injured.

Applicants must send the following:

• Fellowship application form
• Copy of press card or employment letter
• Resume/CV
• Links or copies of at least three stories published or broadcast in the last twelve months.

 Applications should be sent to ppfsafetyfellowships@pakistanpressfoundation.org   

The deadline for submitting applications is April 5, 2024.  Applications received after the due date will not be entertained.

PPF Application Form (English):  http://pakistanpressfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Application-Form-English-1-1.docx

Google Form (English): https://forms.gle/Js3CMzKBzW96aJKg6

PPF Application Form (Urdu): http://pakistanpressfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Application-Form-Urdu.docx

Google Form (Urdu):  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScj_9f50Rg4AAr5b6t85dJ-PVvTSUhS7R0P1O18vRDtPyiOWg/viewform?usp=sharing

پاکستان پریس فاؤنڈیشن (پی پی ایف) میڈیا سیفٹی رپورٹنگ فیلوشپ کے لیے درخواستیں موصول کی جارہی ہیں۔ فیلوشپ کا مقصد آزادی اظہار کو فروغ دینا ہے اور میڈیا کے پیشہ ور افراد کو مدد فراہم کرناہے تاکہ وہ میڈیا کی حفاظت اور جرائم سے استثنیٰ کے معاملات کے متعلق گہرائی سے تحقیقاتی مسائل پر رپورٹس تیار کرسکیں۔

: فیلوشپ پروگرام میں شامل ہے  

کہانیوں کی تیاری کے لیے اعزازیہ

دو صلاحیت سازی ورکشاپس میں شرکت۔

چھ تحقیقاتی کہانیوں کی تیاری میں ادارتی اور تکنیکی مدد۔

منتخب شرکاء کو سینئر صحافی کے ساتھ کام کرنے کا موقع ملے گا جو کہ فیلوشپ کے دوران فیلوشپ ایڈیٹر کے فرائض انجام دیں گے۔ فیلوشپ پروگرام کے دوران ہر ساتھی کو قومی میڈیا تنظیموں میں اشاعت یا نشریات کے لیے چھ آرٹیکلز تیار کرنے ہوں گے۔

کم از کم تین سال کا تجربہ رکھنے والے اور صحافیوں کی حفاظت کو فروغ دینے کے عزم کے حامل صحافیوں کو درخواست دینے کی ترغیب دی جاتی ہے۔

خواتین صحافیوں، کمزور برادریوں کے صحافیوں، اور بلوچستان، نئے ضم شدہ قبائلی اضلاع/سابق فاٹا کے اضلاع، گلگت بلتستان اور آزاد جموں و کشمیر سمیت ملک کے تمام حصوں کے صحافیوں کو درخواست دینے کی ترغیب دی جاتی ہے۔

ان درخواست گزار صحافیوں کو ترجیح دی جائے گی جو خاص طور پر قتل یا زخمی ہونے والے صحافیوں کے معاملات کی تحقیقات کرنے کا عزم رکھتے ہوں۔  

: درخواست گزار کے لیے درج ذیل کاغذات بھیجنا ضروری ہیں

 درخواست فارم

تعلیمی و پیشه ورانہ کوائف / سی وی

پریس کارڈ یا موجودہ ملازمت کا خط

پچھلے بارہ مہینوں میں شائع یا نشر ہونے والی کم از کم تین آرٹیکلز کے لنکس یا کاپیاں۔

پر بھیجیں۔ ppfsafetyfellowships@pakistanpressfoundation.org درخواستیں

درخواستیں جمع کرانے کی آخری تاریخ 5 اپریل 2024 ہے۔ مقررہ تاریخ کے بعد موصول ہونے والی درخواستوں پر عمل نہیں کیا جائے گا۔

:درخواست فارم اردو میں

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گوگل فارم (اردو)

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:درخواست فارم انگریزی میں

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گوگل فارم (انگریزی)

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Access to information online must be guaranteed, particularly in the post-election period when there remains much uncertainty about the political future of the country, emphasizing the need for citizens to be able to access information. 

This now seems to have become a regular practice of disrupting or closing access to social media platforms or the internet. It is akin to restricting free speech in Pakistan and undermines citizens’ right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. 

On February 17, users in Pakistan faced intermittent disruption in access to the social media platform. According to Netblocks, metrics showed a national-scale disruption. On February 18, Netblocks provided an update that X had been restricted for 24 hours.

For a third day, on February 19, users once again faced difficulty accessing X. According to Dawn, citing Downdetector, an outage was experienced in the morning around 10:30 am and, after being restored around noon, once again were disrupted after 1 pm.

In a statement shared on X, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said: “It also infringes on people’s right to democratic decision making, information, and expression. This practice must stop immediately.”

The new disruption in access to X comes after the closure of mobile connectivity and data services on election day on February 8 across Pakistan that, cast doubts on the credibility of the entire election and raised questions about the government’s motives for leaving citizens in the dark.

In the lead-up to the general elections, the country had also seen multiple disruptions in internet access. Recurrent disruptions to access social media were observed in December and January. While there was no official confirmation about the cause of the disruption, they took place when the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf was hosting virtual events.

—-ENDS—-

The suspension came after a police official was charged for reportedly torturing journalists during a protest held by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in front of the Divisional Election Commission Rawalpindi on Sunday.

Regional Police Officer Syed Khurram Ali and City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani initiated an inquiry into the incident after it gained attention. SP Rawalpindi Faisal Saleem was appointed as the inquiry officer.

SP Saleem’s inquiry found Yasir Khan, a constable stationed at Police Station Pirwadhai, guilty of displaying extreme arrogance and disobeying senior orders regarding the dispersal of protesters. This behavior was deemed as gross misconduct and inefficiency.

In his report, SP Saleem highlighted Khan’s irresponsible, negligent, and careless conduct, indicating his apparent guilt of misconduct and inefficiency.

Additionally, City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani announced the posting of three Station House Officers (SHOs) in the Rawalpindi district on Thursday.

Inspector Sajjad Ul Hassan has been appointed as the new SHO of Kallar Syedan, replacing Subtain ul Hasnain, who has been shifted to SHO Pirwadhai. Sub-inspector Tayyab Zaheer Baig has been assigned as the SHO of Waris Khan police station.

–ENDS —

A video circulating online has ignited widespread condemnation of Federal Caretaker Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, following his aggressive confrontation with BBC reporter Mobeen Azhar during an interview. The incident unfolded as Azhar pressed Solangi on issues concerning press freedom within Pakistan, a website ProPakistani reported.

In the footage, Azhar is seen introducing himself to Solangi before broaching the topic of state interference with journalists. However, instead of addressing Azhar’s inquiries, Solangi swiftly accused him of coercing the interview. Tensions mounted as Solangi attempted to seize Azhar’s phone, reprimanding him to “act like a BBC journalist and not Paparazzi.”

Despite the minister’s attempts to divert the conversation, Azhar persisted with his line of questioning. Solangi then questioned whether he had granted Azhar an interview slot, to which Azhar affirmed that the minister had indeed allocated time for the discussion, further intensifying the exchange.

The altercation has triggered outrage and renewed concerns over journalistic freedoms and government accountability in Pakistan. Solangi’s conduct has drawn widespread criticism, with calls for transparency and respect for the autonomy of the press.

— ENDS —

The PPF is alarmed by the intensification of cyberbullying tactics, particularly against female journalists, in the wake of electoral frustrations expressed by political entities. The online platforms, which should serve as spaces for free expression and democratic debate, are marred by harassment and intimidation. Such actions directly threaten the principles of press freedom and the safety of media personnel.

We urge all political parties and their leadership to denounce and curb such harassment campaigns against journalists unequivocally. It is imperative that a civil discourse be maintained and any disagreements with journalistic content be addressed respectfully and constructively.

In solidarity with journalists facing harassment and intimidation, we demand that relevant authorities ensure their safety and hold the perpetrators accountable. Immediate and decisive measures must be taken against those responsible for these reprehensible actions to prevent recurrence. Journalists’ safety and their right to report without fear must be upheld at all times.

In the wake of ARY News anchorperson Meher Bukhari’s tweet regarding Rana Sanaullah Khan, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), over fifty social media users have launched a barrage of attacks against the anchor. The onslaught includes a disturbing mix of vulgar and sexist comments alongside manipulated images and videos aimed at discrediting Bukhari. This digital aggression unfolded shortly after the PML-N announced on February 11th that Waseem Qadir, an independent victor from the National Assembly Constituency NA-121 Lahore, had officially joined their ranks on their official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Bukhari’s engagement in this political discourse began with her retweet of a message underscoring the value of personal dignity over loyalty to the vote. This action drew attention and was followed by a controversial move from the X account previously associated with Rana Sanaullah, now identified as @PresPMLNPunjab, which shared an old interview clip hinting at Bukhari’s involvement in media manipulation. In retaliation, Bukhari posted, and later deleted, older images of Rana post-kidnapping with a provocative caption about his electoral defeat. This exchange ignited a firestorm of criticism from PML-N supporters, who labeled Bukhari a “paid anchor” and escalated their attacks with invasive and offensive content.

Saddia Mazhar, the editor of The Reporters. pk, became the target of a severe online attack. Mazhar told PPF that her lighthearted tweet regarding the ongoing consultations between the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – sparked by news of discussions about forming a coalition government – led to a torrent of abusive messages on X. She reported that numerous accounts bombarded her with offensive and vulgar tweets, aggressively retweeting her posts. Despite her efforts to block these accounts, Mazhar continues to be plagued by a relentless influx of abusive messages.

Amir Mateen, the anchorperson for 92 News, has recently been subjected to hateful comments following his tweets critiquing the political landscape and the PML-N’s moves. In his posts, Mateen criticized the party for incorporating independent candidates and shared older videos of the party’s Chief Organizer, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, in which she can be heard against party switchers. These remarks sparked a wave of abusive comments directed against him.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has expressed deep concern over an organized campaign of character assassination and threats directed at senior journalists Meher Bukhari of ARY News and Amir Mateen of 92 News by elements allegedly associated with the PML-N on social media and demanding immediate action from the leadership of the party.  

Ends/PPF

PPF draws attention to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Code of Conduct for National Media, which states: “The government and law enforcement agencies shall provide due protection to media persons and media houses to maintain their freedom of expression as their fundamental right.”

The ECP Code of Conduct for Political Parties, Contesting Candidates, and Election Agents states that political parties will “firmly restrain” their workers from exerting influence on the media or resorting to violence against them.

The incidents in the critical period in the lead-up to the election, including violence, harassment, and online censorship, threaten the safety of the media and raise concerns about the media safety as the election approaches and also violate the ECP codes of conduct for the elections. This hampers journalists’ ability to fulfill their pivotal role in documenting and reporting on the electoral process accurately and impartially.

It is essential to highlight that the government is ultimately responsible for ensuring the freedom and safety of the media, as enshrined in the Constitution and the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021. We urge the authorities to uphold these constitutional obligations and protect the rights of journalists and the media.

Assault during coverage

On January 25, PNN reporter Noroz Rana was assaulted by supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) political party during a rally in Vehari, Punjab. 

Rana told PPF that he was interviewing attendees for their opinions while covering the rally in Vehari. Some younger participants expressed support for another party, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf, prompting Rana to ask them why they were attending a PML-N event. This led to a confrontation when a PML-N supporter accused Rana of trying to discredit the rally and incite violence against him. Two individuals, purportedly supporters of the party, verbally assaulted Rana, slapped him, and destroyed his camera. They also attacked him with his microphone, targeting his eye.

Rana noted that the incident occurred towards the rally’s conclusion when many reporters had left. He reported the incident to his organization and filed a complaint with the Vehari District Police Officer (DPO).

Adnan Tariq, the Public Relations Officer to the DPO, told PPF that officers are currently preoccupied with election duties, the DPO is aware of Rana’s situation and will take appropriate action following the elections.

In another incident, on January 30, at a political gathering in Lahore, the Talon News team, including reporter Hanooq, driver Hammad, and cameraperson Farooq, faced violence at the hands of PML-N supporters. 

During the rally, some individuals attempted to climb onto PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz’s vehicle. When Shehbaz’s security personnel intervened, pushing them away, the individuals fell to the ground. Nearby, the Talon News team was covering the event when they accidentally collided with some supporters, leading to a tense situation. Agitated by the encounter, those PML-N supporters launched an attack on the news team, slapping them and damaging their equipment.

On January 26, Naya Daur correspondent Moammar Qazzafi and his cameraman Moazzam Bukhari were assaulted by supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and a candidate of the party, Ch. Adnan Sarwar Gorsi. 

The attack occurred while the Naya Daur reporters were covering Gorsi’s constituency PP-157 in Lahore. Due to disagreements during the coverage, PPP supporters allegedly physically assaulted Bukhari and damaged his camera.

Bukhari told PPF that he and his reporter, Qazzafi, visited the location for coverage and allegedly observed several unusual activities. Bukhari said that women were queuing to collect forms, which gave off an impression of pre-poll rigging despite the official claim that these were forms for the Benazir Income Support Program. When Qazzafi inquired about the purpose of their gathering, the staff on-site abruptly accused them of harassing the women and initiated a physical altercation against Bukhari. The confrontation resulted in Bukhari sustaining injuries near his head and eyes, and their camera was also damaged.

Following the incident, Bukhari filed a complaint at the local police station in the factory area, but the matter was eventually settled.

Digital Harassment of Journalists

GTV anchorperson Gharidah Farooqi became the target of online harassment allegedly by supporters of the PTI political party. In a tweet, Farooqi said that persons associated with PTI run campaigns against her every 10-15 days, and another such campaign had been launched against her. Farooqi said she had lodged a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the campaign in which the house address and phone number of Farooqi had been shared on social media, and she had faced character assassination and life threats. In a statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and General Secretary Arshad Ansari demanded PTI leadership take disciplinary action against party workers involved. They said that the PTI leadership would be responsible if Farooqi faced any personal or financial damage.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also condemned the harassment experienced by Farooqi.

Websites blocked

The website for the out-of-favor political party, PTI, were blocked. According to Dawn, PTI had launched an online portal for election information and a backup site. The top court of Pakistan had ruled against the party and upheld the withdrawal of its election symbol, the bat.

Since then, access to the websites has been restored.

PPF calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence, harassment, and online censorship targeting journalists and media professionals. With the elections a couple of days away, we urge the government to ensure a safe and conducive environment for media coverage of the elections in physical and digital spaces. Upholding the principles of democracy and freedom of expression is vital for a fair and transparent electoral process.

Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution. Journalists must be free to report on and analyze key developments in the country, including court proceedings, without being accused of partaking in “malicious campaigns.” 

As the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa has taken suo-motu notice of the incident and is hearing the case, PPF is hopeful that the court will direct the relevant authorities to ensure that the media is not subject to such punitive measures and can work without the fear of repercussions. 

On January 17, a joint investigation team was formed to investigate a smear campaign against judges. According to Dawn, reports were shared on social media that the FIA Cybercrime Wing issued notices to approximately 47 journalists after noticing a “smear campaign against judges.” 

One of the recipients of the notices, journalist Asad Ali Toor, uploaded a copy on X, formerly Twitter, which included details such as the inquiry number, name of the complainant (Anees Ur Rehman), and the gist of the allegations. The notice directed Toor to appear before and record his version at the FIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre.

Meanwhile, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on January 28 said that 110 notices had been sent of which the suspects included 32 journalists, Geo reported.

The minister was quoted saying: “Issuing notices to someone does not mean to harass someone or declare someone a criminal. If there is an arrest, FIR, house raid, abduction, or chase, then it can be called harassment.”

It is worthwhile to remind the information minister that notices are a measure that has a similar effect as that of case registration and proceedings against media professionals by intimidating them with the fear of legal proceedings and also sending a message to other journalists of the repercussions of certain coverage, reporting or analysis.

Additionally, Solangi added that it was important to state that freedom of expression was not unlimited and had “reasonable restrictions” including that you can’t run a campaign against the armed forces or judiciary that goes beyond the parameters of the Constitution and the law.

“Criticism is protected in the Constitution. We are not talking about criticism here; we are talking about humiliation and character assassination. Whatever has been done against the Supreme Court judges is in no way criticism […],” he said.

Article 19 of the Constitution states: “ Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence.”

PPF urges the government to ensure that the media’s rights to report on developments and provide analysis are not restricted through notices by government bodies such as  FIA. Instead, they can continue their work without intimidation.

On January 27, the Press Association of the Supreme Court President Aqeel Afzal and Islamabad High Court Journalists Association President Fayaz Mahmood issued a joint statement condemning the notices to working journalists associated with media organizations. 

As per the statement, the two associations held a joint meeting with a one-point agenda to review the notices issued by the FIA to journalists. Both agreed that the FIA notices were a source of concern for the journalists’ community even though the Constitution safeguards a right to free expression, and the court has always encouraged productive criticism. The statement added that an independent media was necessary for democracy just as an independent court was.

Condemning the notices, the associations demanded that working journalists not be harassed by such steps and that the notices be taken back. They added that if the harassment by FIA did not stop, their next steps would be decided in consultation with other journalists’ organizations.

According to Dawn, after meeting with representatives of the two associations, CJP Isa, on January 27, took suo-motu notice of the “alleged harassment” of journalists and made a three-member bench to take up the case along with another case from 2021 at the request of the Press Association of the Supreme Court regarding harassment of journalists, Dawn reported.

During the case proceedings on January 29, the three-member bench “emphasized” that journalists should not be booked; however, they did not suspend the proceedings by the FIA, Dawn reported.

As the case resumed on Tuesday (January 30), the apex court gave media professionals time till the general elections to appear before the FIA. The Attorney General of Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, added that the notices against the journalists will be taken up after the elections, Geo reported.

In what has become an unfortunate trend in the country, social media access was disrupted again on January 20. The disruption, which coincided with an online event organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) political party, was the third such disruption since December 2023. While there is no official confirmation about whether PTI activities are the reason behind the disruption, all disturbances in access to social media platforms coincided with virtual activities of the political party. 

With the elections set to take place in two weeks, in a period of heightened political activity and electioneering, such disruptions are even more damaging. It is imperative that citizens can access social media platforms without disruptions, and all political parties can campaign as per the rules without such disruptions.

On January 20, NetBlocks confirmed the nationwide disruption on social media platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said  the disruption was caused by a “technical fault,” which had been fixed, and the internet services had been restored.

In a press conference, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi was asked why the disruptions occur during the PTI’s online activities and whether he would ensure that internet services remain active closer to the elections. 

According to Dawn, Solangi said: “The economy, businesses, and prestige of the country are more important for us […] it is important for us to take care of them.”

Solangi said, according to the information he had, the disruption was caused due to technical factors such as system installations, adding that there could be no guarantee given that it would not take place in the future even if that may be what one wishes for.

At the press conference, PTA Director General Ahmed Shamim Pirzada said the disruption was due to technical glitches and system upgrades, Dawn reported.

The report quoted him as saying, “You can face this for the next two to three months, ” adding that he recalled similar instances taking place before.

This disruption was similar to other disruptions in the last two months —  on December 17, 2023, as the PTI was hosting a virtual rally and on  January 7, during another PTI virtual event.

The authority also suggested that “it would be appreciated” if the information received from any source could be verified/confirmed from the spokesperson of the Foreign Office and other relevant state institutions.

“The licensees are expected to present factual information and reports through their transmission and support the state narrative at this crucial time as and when released from the relevant institution,” the directive mentioned.

Furthermore, all the news and programming heads and their respective teams have been asked to verify each and every piece of information received on their desks or Whatsapp groups, and aired only after necessary fact-checking. PEMRA said that any false reporting may cause unrest and insecurity among the public.

It also warned that in case of violation of the above orders, the authority would be constrained to proceed under sections 26, 29-A and 30 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2023.

Source: Samaa TV